Inclination
by JoleeMisfit
Summary: Shy and lonely Bella Swan lets her teenage daughter make a profile for her on a dating site. There, she meets the handsome and charismatic Edward, a mechanic with a lust for life. Will these two opposing personalities mix or explode in their faces?
1. Chapter 1

**Inclination**

**Summary: Shy and lonely Bella Swan lets her teenage daughter make a profile for her on a dating site. There, she meets the handsome and charismatic Edward, a mechanic with a lust for life. Will these two opposing personalities mix or explode in their faces?**

* * *

**Chapter one: Taking a Chance**

"Mom, relax," my daughter sighed, putting her hand on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and stared at the purple and white screen in front of me.

"It's just not me," I said for the tenth time.

Mickey smiled and rolled her eyes, clearly amused at my discomfort. "That's the point. You said you wanted a change, a chance to be wild and free, well here's how you start." She clicked the mouse a few times and I tapped my fingers nervously on the desk.

"Okay, now we add a picture and an about me and you'll be flooded with messages. Don't mind the dick pics," she snickered.

"Mckayla! Watch your mouth," I said exasperatedly. That girl had a foul mouth. But she was usually able to control it around me because she knew how much I hated it.

She laughed again and pulled up the file folder with the pictures she forced me to take the night before. "Okay, pick your favorite one."

I bit my lip and scanned the pictures slowly. I chose one of just my face and shoulders. I was smiling slightly and my hair was in perfect waves. "That one," I said pointing to it.

She clicked on it and added it as a profile picture.

"Okay, now you need to fill in your about me box."

That's where I fumbled and flustered. What could I say? I'm a 35 year old with a 15 year old foul mouthed daughter whose husband left her for a 20 year old floozy a year ago? I couldn't say that. No one would want to talk to me.

Gosh, I was a loser.

"What should I say?" I begged looking up into my daughters beautiful glassy blue eyes.

"I don't know... say you're a fun loving-"

I snorted and she glared. I was so not fun loving. I worked two jobs to keep my two bedroom house afloat and my daughter and her behemoth of a dog fed. I didn't have time for fun. I barely had time to shower.

"Baby, I don't want to lie."

"Mom, everyone lies on here."

"Well, I don't want to lie," I insisted sternly.

She groaned and knelt down beside me. "Okay, then what do you want to say? It has to be something good. Something to catch people's interest."

I mulled over what I could say, what I should say, and what I should leave out. I was definitely leaving out the fact that my POS husband left me for a younger hotter version of myself. I would leave out that I sometimes still slept with his shirt on. Yeah, most assuredly leaving that embarrassing detail of it out.

"Um, I could say that I'm a 35 year old mother to a wonderful and beautiful daughter who means the world to me. I own a bakery and I'm... single and ready to mingle?"

Mickey threw her head back and laughed. "What decade are you living in?"

I glared at her and slapped her on the arm. "Don't make fun of your mother."

She rubbed her arm thoughtfully and nodded. "Yeah you could say that. It's... cute. Besides, most guys will take one look at your picture and message you without even reading your about me."

"Then why am I making one?"

"Because the ones you want to talk to will read it."

I sighed and went about typing away when a thought suddenly occurred to me. "How do you know about this site?"

Her eyes widened and she blushed crimson. "Uh, a friend told me about it." She coughed nervously and avoided my gaze.

"Mmhmm."

"Anyway," she quickly changed the subject. "up here," she pointed to the top of the screen, "tells you when you have a message, and right next to it tells you when have notifications."

"Notifications?"

"Yeah, like when someone likes your picture or comments on it."

"Oh, okay."

"Well, I'm about to head over to Tanya's," she said as she stood and walked to the door. "And yes, I'll be home before 9," she called back before I could remind her. "Have fun!"

I stared at the screen, left alone to my own devices. It was my only day off and this was how I was spending it? Trying to snag a man online? I looked around my small home and was happy to see that there wasn't a mess that needed cleaning, the laundry was done and the fridge was stocked. I supposed I had the time...

I looked back at the screen and noticed that there was a red number 3 next to the notifications tab. I clicked on it. I already had six likes on my picture. And two comments.

I clicked the notification for the comments and read them with a fiery blush on my cheeks.

_Sexy mama. Message me._

Surprisingly that wasn't the comment that had me flaming bright red. The one underneath it however...

_The things I would do to you..._

I quickly went back to my profile and saw that I had over nine messages. Someone even sent me a picture. Intrigued by that, I clicked on that one first and immediately regretted it.

"Oh, mercy!" I clicked away fast. It was a picture of a man but you couldn't see his face. Just his naked stomach and thighs and nestled between that was his... _thing_. Just dangling there. I nearly gagged. What had I gotten myself into?

I went to another message, thankfully no picture was included. It was from a man named James Daniels. His message was nice enough. He asked me how my day was going. I replied in kind and went onto the next message. This one from a Eric Yorkie.

_Hey there pretty lady, care to chat?_

I looked at his profile picture. He was a handsome looking man with pitch black hair slicked back and full lips. He was wearing a nice gray suit. I went to his profile and read his about me.

_Hello people, my name is Eric Yorkie and I'm a fun loving, adventure craving, crazy son of a bitch. I'm here to pound pussy and penetrate your mind. Hit me up._

Okay... no.

I didn't reply to his message and went onto the next. And then another. They were all the same, most people just saying hi and then their about me was full of profanity and self-hype.

I laid my chin on my hand and swiveled on the chair as I skimmed through the seemingly endless amount of messages I was receiving. I had to admit, the messages, the comments and likes, they were giving my ego the boost I so desperately needed. But so far there hadn't been one message worth responding to. They would say hi, I would say hi, and then the rest of the conversation was dry and mirthless.

I was getting bored. I was about to log off when I received another message. The profile picture caught my eye. It was a good looking red haired man kneeling down next to a giant russet colored dog who had their big floppy tongue lolling out to the side. I couldn't resist a cute dog. So I clicked on his message.

_Hey beautiful. I came across your picture and I have to say your face is stunning._

I blushed and bit my lip, clicking on his profile. I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw his profile picture all blown up and clear. His hair wasn't just red, but had flecks of golden through it only made brighter by the sun shining behind him. He had a smattering of freckles on the bridge of his nose and a full, luscious, kissable smile.

His about me is what really had me drawn in.

_A bit about me. Well, my name is Edward Masen I'm 33 years old, a self-employed mechanic, and the father of a rambunctious 5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog named Jake. If you can't get along with him then you can't get along with me. I work 6 days out of the week, so my schedule doesn't leave any room to mess around. I'm on here looking for love, probably in all the wrong places._

_p.s. Don't speak to me before I've had my coffee._

I laughed at the last bit; a man after my own heart. I went back to his message and began typing.

_Hello, Edward. Thank you for the compliment, you made me blush. How are you and your dog doing today?_

I read it over and hit send before I could talk myself out it and then went on to the discussion page where people posted their pictures and updates. It was mostly teenagers and 20-somethings posting pictures of their cleavage and showing off their cars. Most of the girls were asking for money for pictures.

I kept scrolling hoping to not see a picture of my daughter floating about. I scrolled though the forum for about 10 minutes before I went back to my messages and nearly jumped with glee when I saw that Edward has messaged me back.

_I'm glad I could put some color in those cheeks ;) We're good, thank you for asking. We're just hanging out at the dog park. How are you and your daughter?_

Another blush at the thought of him reading my lame about me. But I shook it off. What's done is done. I tapped my fingers against my lips trying to come up with something to say. Should I go witty or serious? Should I lean the conversation toward him or follow the flow? I didn't know. I had never done this before. I'd only ever been with one man and we never actually flirted, we just grew up together and fell into place of what our parents expected of us.

I decided to follow the flow.

_That sounds like fun! I need to take my Leah to the park soon, she's getting restless. And I'm hanging out at home. It's my only day off from work. My daughter is at a friends house doing only God knows what lol_

I hit send and waited impatiently for his reply. I was getting spammed with messages left and right but I studiously ignored them as I watched Edward's face drop lower and lower on my feed. Finally after a long five minutes, he replied.

I opened it quickly.

_You have a dog? What kind and how old? I know some good dog parks in the area._

My shoulders dropped. Okay, now we're talking about dogs. Not the direction I wanted the conversation to head in but I guess I could take it and hope I could steer it somewhere else.

_She's a purebred Collie and she just turned 3. And yeah, I know a few good ones myself. I usually go to the one next to the Striped Peak Trail. Have you ever been?_

Okay, talk to me good lookin'. I prayed to the Gods that he would answer soon. I was really enjoying talking to him. Even about dogs and dog parks. I loved my Leah and dogs in general so I wasn't mad at the fact that he did too. It actually made me like him more.

I didn't have to wait long for his next message.

_Hell yeah! That's the one I'm at right now. And have you ever been hiking at Striped Peak? It's beautiful there. Very rustic in its way. Gotta watch out for those inclines though lol_

Hiking? I looked down at my pale scrawny legs and sighed. I had always wanted to go there, but the thought of that much physical activity to get to the end made me sick.

I remembered my daughters words from earlier. _'Everyone lies on here.'_

I leaned back in my chair and contemplated the best option. I could tell the truth and say that I have never been hiking a day in my life and he could possibly think me boring and end the conversation right then and there or I could play along and say that I hiked there once or twice and he would be impressed and maybe want to go out with me...

Decisions...

I decided to go for it.

_Yes, I've been there once or twice. It sure is beautiful. And yeah, those inclines could really put a damper on the whole experience. I was actually thinking about going on my next day off._

I hit send and stood up from my chair, biting at my thumb. Guilt bubbling in my stomach. I hated to lie. It didn't sit right with me. But he was just so fricken pretty I wanted him to think I was fun and adventurous. I wanted him to like me.

He answered back in less than a minute and I clumsily fell back into the seat and clicked on his message.

_Really? I love the inclines. Makes it more challenging. And is that so? Well, when is your next day off? Maybe we could go together? You could bring Leah and I could bring Jake. Maybe we'll all hit it off!?_

Oh, no. Oh, no no no... what did I just do? He asked me out... on a date... to go hiking... at a place I pretended to already go. What did I do? I needed my daughter. I grabbed my phone from the desk and picked her name and hit send, pattering my toes on the floor, anxiety and trepidation constant as I listened to the ringing.

"What's up?" She asked, seemingly out of breath.

"I need your help! I may have done something..." I trailed off not quite sure how to tell my impressionable teenage daughter that her mother was a fat faced liar.

"What did you do?"

I stood from the chair and made my way across the room to the sofa and threw myself down on it. "Okay, so I've been talking to this guy-"

"Whoot whoot," she interjected with a laugh and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, anyway we got to talking about dog parks and I mentioned the one next to that hiking trail, you know the one we always go to?"

"Uh huh, and?"

"Well, he started talking about hiking at the trail and asked me if I had ever been. I said yes."

I was met with silence and then a snort that blossomed into full on giggles. "Mother, you have never been hiking a day in your life. Do you even know what hiking is? It's a lot different from walking through the grocery store, I'll tell ya that."

I bristled at her comment. "I know that, Mickey, but... he's so cute," I pleaded my case. "And you're the one that told me people always lie on there."

She was quiet for a minute, her giggles dying down. "Well, what's the problem? So you lied. It's not like he's gonna go asking around town if anyone knows a woman named Bella Swan and if they've ever seen her hike."

"The problem is, he asked me to go hiking with him on my next day off."

"Dang, so you gonna just be falling flat on your face then?" she snickered.

I was getting aggravated. "Just tell me what I should do!"

"Okay, okay. First off, don't go to a secluded trail with a man you don't know and met online. That's a big no-no. And second of all, ask him out for coffee and get to know him in person. See if you even like him enough to make a fool of yourself."

She had a point there. I hadn't even thought of that. Who knew what kind of danger I could have walked into. Anyone could have been lurking behind that beautiful face. Luckily, my brilliant 15 year old daughter knew better.

"Okay, so coffee? I can do that."

"There ya go. Now go set up a date and give me the details when I get home. Love yas!"

She hung up before I could say anything else and I stared nervously at my phone. I looked back over to the computer and contemplated what I should do. Did I want to spend another Sunday hating what my life had become while I pigged out on twinkies and soda and watched _Roseanne_ for the millionth time or did I want to take a chance of meeting a good man?

I took a shaky breath in and nodded to myself. I was taking a chance.

* * *

**Okay, so this is just a fun little story i decided to write while edit the chapters for my other story. Please let me know what you think. Should I continue with this one?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two: Details**

Mickey came waltzing into the house half past ten with a smirk on her face and a bounce in her step. Her eyes found mine immediately as I sat on the sofa, phone in my hand. I lifted the phone, displaying the time. Mickey's smile turned sheepish and she shrugged apologetically.

"Flat tire?" she half laughed and bit her lip, a nervous habit she picked up from me.

"Wanna try that again?" I put on my best 'mom stare' and she looked away. That excuse still had another year before it was valid. She didn't even have her driver's license yet. And last time I checked, her skateboard tires couldn't deflate.

She chewed nervously on the end her of long golden braid, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. "Um, Tanya was showing me this cool new PS4 game and we just lost track of time."

A blush tinted her cheeks at the mention of Tanya. I may have been naive to many things, but nothing concerning my daughter. I watched her too closely, paid attention when she spoke or moved. She was my baby. But I didn't want to call her out on her lie. If it was any other lie, sure, but not something like this. She would tell me when she was ready.

After a long silence, she turned back to me, her face contrite and her eyes anxious. "I'm grounded?"

"One week," I confirmed.

She sighed and walked over to the couch with her scrawny shoulders slumped forward. She plopped down next to me and laid her head on my lap. "Sorry," she whined in that annoying, baby-in-trouble kind of way that she always did.

I suppressed a laugh and patted her on the head. "Just don't make me worry. Call next time and I'll come pick you up. I don't like you walking in the dark by yourself."

She nodded and yawned, stretching out over me and settling her face against my stomach. It had always been her favorite spot. I never did lose that tiny extra bit of baby weight after I had her.

"So, tell me about this guy you've been talking to," she said into my shirt.

I flushed and looked away from her. He was... sweet. He completely understood my not wanting to meet at the trails for the first time. He agreed that maybe it was an unsettling offer and happily accepted my coffee date for the coming up Sunday.

He was just the sweetest thing next to cotton candy.

"He's... nice," I told her. Not wanting to gush in front of my daughter.

"Just nice?" she said lifting her head slightly to look at me with her eyebrow raised. "Details mother. Details."

I breathed a quiet laugh and ran my fingers through her hair. Well the best I could with a loose braid adorning her head. "He's sweet. Kind. Very handsome." I said the last part with another fiery blush taking over. It did not go unnoticed by my perceptive daughter.

She smiled sarcastically. "You got a crush, mama?"

I pushed her head back down to my lap and looked up to the ceiling, not wanting her to see how much of a crush I knew I had. "He's a mechanic and has his own business."

"Any kids? Angry baby mama's floating in the breeze?"

I snorted. "No. No kids and no baby mama's. He does have a five year old dog though that he seems to think very highly of."

"Aww, puppy!" she yelled in a high pitched voice. Mickey loved dogs.

Hearing Mickey, Leah came barreling down the stairs at full speed and jumped half on the couch, half on Mickey's stomach. Mickey grunted and laughed, pushing her fingers through the scruff of Leah's neck. Leah breathed heavily, her big tongue lolling out to the side and whined happily at the return of her best friend. Her brown eyes found mine and she huffed before licking my daughters face with abandon.

Leah wasn't happy with me at the moment. I threw her favorite squeaky toy away because she had ripped the squeaker right out and was leaving cotton fluffs everywhere she dragged it. I went out and bought her the same exact one, but the damage was done.

"Hello to you too, miss thing," I greeted her with a roll of my eyes.

"Okay, okay," Mickey pushed an overly exuberant Leah away and she trotted to the end of the couch to lay curled around Mickey's feet. "So, what else can you tell me about him? Perhaps a name?"

"Oh, right!" I laughed. "His name is Edward Masen. He's 33 years old and he likes to go hiking and-"

"Oh, yeah," Mickey snickered. "Hiking. Don't you _love_ to go hiking, mother?" she asked sarcastically. I slapped her softly which only made her laugh harder.

"Don't make fun or I'm not going to tell you anything else."

To be honest, I didn't have much else to tell. Edward had to go because he was driving home and I hadn't checked my messages in a few hours. We didn't exactly go into detail about our lives.

"Fine, sorry. Can I see a picture?"

I blushed again as his face flitted through my mind. I placed Mickey's head on the couch and stood up, walking over to the computer in the far corner of the room. I sat down and logged back into my account. Mickey and Leah followed close behind. It took me a few minutes to get back down to Edward's messages, I had gotten so many in the time I was off.

Mickey whistled and leaned down to peer at the screen. "Well, ain't you popular," she said, her face breaking into a smile.

I shook my head. I didn't care about them. There was just one person on there I wanted to like me.

When I finally got to his message, it was in bold. He had messaged me back. I clicked on it and quickly went over to view his profile. I'm sure there was nothing untoward in his message, but for some reason I wanted to keep it to myself. Mickey didn't say anything about it as I pulled up his profile picture and showed it to her.

"Dang, that's a handsome feller," she whistled. I rolled my eyes but nodded in agreement. "The guy ain't so bad himself," she chuckled. I slapped her arm and she giggled.

"Look, Lele," Mickey grabbed Leah under her belly and lifted her sniffing snout the screen. "Look at the handsome doggy."

* * *

After Mickey finally, mercifully, went to bed and took the rambunctious dog with her, I sat back down in front of the computer and went back to Edward's message.

_I had a good time talking with you today. I can't wait for our date on Sunday._

I tried to contain my squeal so I wouldn't wake Mickey up and typed furiously across the keyboard. He had sent that message four hours ago. He was probably fast asleep by now.

_Me too! I'm very excited. I hope you have a good night Edward and I'll message you in the morning. If you want._

I hit send and was about to log out when his message popped up. I quickly clicked on it and blushed through a smile as I read his short, simple and sweet reply.

_Goodnight, Bella. Yes, I want._

For the first time in over a year, I went to bed with a smile on my face and hope in my heart.

* * *

**Thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter. please let me know what you think. These chapter will be short but the updates will come rather quickly. i hope you all liked this short sneak into Bella and Mickey's lives!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three: Baby Batter**

_Good morning, Edward. How did you sleep?_

I sent that message about five hours ago. I checked the time again and it was almost noon. He still hadn't responded or even looked at it. I sighed and went back to mixing the chocolate strawberry cake that I had going out in an hour and a half. It was taking me longer than it should have because I kept checking my dang meetme messages every ten minutes. Mickey downloaded the app on my phone and that was proving to be a mistake. Work should be for work, not play.

"Bella," Angela came teetering to the back with her hands full of the ingredients I had her pick up. I was running very low and needed to call out another order. Business had picked up in the year since my life went to Hell. I guess your husband leaving you to fend for yourself really kicked that work ethic into overdrive. I needed to remember to order double next time.

"Oh," I put down the mixing bowl down and ran over to her to unload her quivering hands. "Thank you, Ange. How's it looking out there?"

She smiled at me and patted her hands on her apron. "Full house. Again."

I grinned at her as I went back to the mixing table. "That's great. Could you help the girls out front then? I think I can handle everything back here."

"You sure?" she asked, her eyes darting from the unfinished order in front of me to the front of the store. Angela was my number one employee and number one friend. She had been with me and the business for five years and did more than her fair share. I tried to remember the last time she took a day off but couldn't for the life of me recall that.

"Yes, you know how the girls tend to get overwhelmed," I laughed lightheartedly. That's what I got for employing college students.

Angela nodded and left for the counter, leaving me to my own devices and thoughts.

Why hadn't Edward answered me? I saw next to his picture that he had a green dot. Mickey told me that meant the person was online. So why hadn't even looked at the message? Did he find someone better to occupy his time with since last night? I bit my lip and felt the sting of tears in my eyes. Of course he had. Everyone always finds someone better, prettier, and more interesting to talk with. In fact, it seemed that everyone _had_. I was no longer receiving any new messages or notifications from anyone.

_Gosh, I'm a loser..._

I took a deep breath and set my phone on the far left of the table. I had work to do and messing around on a dating site didn't pay my bills. My eyes though, kept drifting over to the phone while I poured the batter into a pan and set it in the oven. I set the timer for forty-five minutes and then grabbed a few of the orders that had piled in while I was _working_.

I left my phone alone for the rest of the day, resigning myself to the fact that Edward simply lost interest in me and went about my work, hard. I had a lot of orders to fill and no time to dillydally around. When it was time for the day to come to a close, I grabbed my phone off the table and stuck it in the pocket of my purse. I refused to check again until I made it home.

It was nearing seven o'clock when I finally walked through my front door. I dropped my purse to the floor and kicked my shoes off my aching feet and trundled over to the sofa. I plopped down on my face and sighed into the pillow. It had been a long, hectic day. And tomorrow would just be another.

"Ma," I heard Mickey calling me from upstairs.

"What?" I yelled into the pillow, not moving.

"Ma!"

"WHAT?"

I hated when she did that. Didn't she know how tired I was. If she needed me she could get off her lazy butt and come to me. I wasn't getting up.

"Oh, mother!" she called in a sing-song voice. I smiled into the pillow and turned my head at the sound her quick footsteps down the stairs. She was just at the bottom when one foot got caught behind the other and she toppled over, just missing the railing she tried to grab on her way down.

"Oomf," she grunted, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Leah came barreling down the stairs after her, a low whine emanating from her throat. She sniffed at Mickey and nudged her with her snout.

I cringed and sat up on the sofa. My poor little thing inherited my equilibrium. The ability to fall over even the flattest of surfaces with ease. Mickey looked up from her place on the floor, all tangled gangly limbs and sheepish smiles.

"_Superstar_," she whispered, gesticulating her hands wildly around her. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. I never should have let her watch that God awful movie.

She jumped up to her feet and limped over to me, plopping herself on the cushion next to me. Leah followed and sat down at her feet, laying her head on her lap, still whining. Poor dog will never get used to her family falling down the stairs, no matter how often it happened. And it happened quite often.

"You okay?" I asked patting her on the knee and Leah nudged my hand away with her nose. I rolled my eyes. She needed to get over the whole squeaky toy incident already.

"I'm good," she grinned, running her fingers through a distraught Leah's mane. "Anyway, I was just gonna ask if you paid the phone bill this month? 'Cause mine ain't working."

My eyes widened and hope filled the pit in my stomach. I ran to the front of the house to grab my purse and yanked out my phone. I went to my bill plan, and sure enough, I hadn't paid.

"Oh," I mumbled breathlessly. "It must have slipped my mind."

"I figured," Mickey said standing from the sofa and walking over to me. "I couldn't do some of my homework so... can you pay it?"

I nodded and connected to the house wifi and went to the pay bill option, quickly putting in my card information and paying both of our lines. "Should be on now," I told her distractedly as a million notifications popped up on my phone from meetme.

"Kay, I'm gonna go finish my homework," she chirped happily and bounded up the stairs with Leah hot on her heels.

I sat down on the sofa and went to my messages and a smile lit up my face when I saw Edward's name in bold and at the top of my list. I opened it and read the few messages there.

_Good morning to you too, beautiful. I slept okay, kinda restless. I was thinking about you to be honest. How did you sleep?_

_I'm breaking the no two messages in a row rule lol. Are you okay?_

_Hey, so I don't know what I did to upset you but could you at least message me and let me know everything is okay? Then I'll leave you alone._

My heart just about burst from my chest at his messages. He was worried about me. The thought made a small giggle escape my throat and a happy smile spread across my face. I quickly went about typing a message back.

_**Hey, I'm so sorry! Everything is okay. I forgot to pay my phone bill is all. You didn't upset me at all. Quite the opposite. I'd really prefer it if you didn't leave me alone.**_

I hit send and fell back on the sofa, stuffing my smiling face into the pillow and letting out a small scream. I was such a goof. All day I was hating myself and wondering what I did wrong to make Edward not want to talk to me and all the while, he was feeling the same. But it was just my stupid mistake.

My phone buzzed in my hand with a new message and I squealed low in my throat. I had missed talking to him way too much. It was bordering on unhealthy obsession at this point.

_Girl, you had me doubting myself lmao. And that's a hard thing to do ;)_

I blushed at the little winky face tacked on the end and thought for a minute, my fingers hovering over the flat keyboard. What should I say? I wasn't good at flirting. I had no practice with it. I bit the inside of my cheek and decided to just step around it for now. I didn't want to embarrass myself. Not yet anyway.

_**Sorry lol So how was your day?**_

He was already typing before I could set my phone down.

_Bogus. I had a regular come in today and tell me how to do my job and then he hovered the whole time. Pissed me off. But it's better now that I'm talking to you. How was your day?_

_**Oh, it was so-so. I had a lot of people come into the bakery today and a lot of orders going out so it was hectic.**_

_I bet. What's your bakery called by the way?_

_**It's called Baby Batter. I was pregnant when I started it and the name seemed fitting.**_

_Lmao, Baby Batter?_

My face scrunched in confusion. Why did everyone always laugh at the name I came up with? It was cute and it meant something to me. I was getting a little irritated and after the day I had I wasn't going to put up with it.

_**Yes, Baby Batter. Why is that so funny? It means something to me. I was pregnant when I started my bakery and the name seemed fitting seeing as I was doing it for my baby so she could have a good life.**_

_Whoa, whoa there. I didn't mean anything by it. I thought you were being cheeky. You do know what baby batter is, don't you? _

What it is? It is a cute name for an expecting mother to choose for her new bakery. I huffed and furiously typed a message back.

_**It's just a sweet name I picked out. What is so funny?**_

_It's nothing. You're right. It's a cute name. So, anyway, what are your plans for the week? I'm still really excited for Sunday!_

I exhaled an angry breath but decided it would be best to just let it go. I would have to ask Mickey about it later. She was always making weird comments about the name of my bakery with that infuriating little smile of hers, so I assumed she would have an answer for me. I didn't want to fight with Edward. We hadn't even met yet.

_**I plan to work mostly. I have the bakery to attend to and a second job that keeps my head from going under. What are your plans?**_

_That doesn't sound like much fun. I'm gonna work during the day, then kick back with a couple friends and some beers at night. On Friday, we're all going to a concert in the park. You ever been to one?_

I heard about those concerts in the park. Mickey went once in a while with Tanya and her mother. I was invited to go but just never had the time. And when I did have the time, I was too tired and just wanted to unwind to some TV shows and pass out. I guess boring life was putting it mildly.

_**It's not lol but I'll live. I do what I have to do. And that sounds like a lot of fun. I've never been, no, but it's on my bucket list for sure.**_

_Well, if our date goes well, I'll have to drag you to one sometime. Speaking of our date, I was thinking that we could meet up at this nice coffee house called Bada Bean. It's locally owned and doesn't get enough traffic for their great service and even better menu._

I was planning on just meeting at Starbucks but that sounded... nice. I was really looking forward to my Mocha frappe but maybe I could do with a little change.

Edward and I fleshed out the details for our date and called it a night. I curled up in bed with my TV on and fell into a blissful Edward-filled dream.

* * *

**I know. It's a slow start but we're getting there! I want to thank you all for the reviews and alerts and favorites! Next chapter is soon on its way! And if anyone could point be toward a beta, I would be very appreciative!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four: Making a Statement**

"I need twenty dollars," Mickey said as she came waltzing into my room without knocking. I pulled my towel tight around my body and glared at her.

"Then you need a job."

She rolled her pretty blue eyes and swung her long golden braid around in her fingers. "Mom, please? I wanna go to the movies with Tanya today and then we're going to get something to eat."

I raised my eyebrows at her but didn't comment. Sounded like a date to me. "I should have a twenty in my wallet," I told her turning away to scavenge through my tiny walk-in closet.

"Thank you!" She skipped over to my bed where my purse lay open and threw herself on her stomach, rifling through it. "So, you excited?"

I turned to look at her and gave a nervous smile. "Yes, but also anxious."

"About?" she asked as she pulled a piece of gum from my purse and popped it in her mouth.

About? Well, for starters, I was going on a date with a man I had never met to a place I had never been. It was a lot of newness for one day. And what if he isn't like he portrayed himself to be. What if he isn't the sweet, caring, charismatic guy that I was talking with? What if... what if he looked nothing like his picture? Oh, God... he could be some giant balding, old man with a mother fetish. Or what if he just didn't like me? I shivered at the thought and turned away from Mickey, keeping my hands busy with trying to find an outfit.

"About everything," I muttered.

I heard Mickey get up from the bed and walk over to me. She stopped behind me and put a hand on my shoulder making me turn to face her. "Everything will be fine, mom. And if it's not, you can just leave. Call it a knowledgeable experience or whatever."

"But I like him so much," I admitted with a fire burning my cheeks. I felt like such a dolt; whining to my young daughter about my nerves. I was happy that she inherited my ex husbands confidence and not my total lack of it. I would never want her to doubt herself the way I did.

"And he's gonna like you," she announced with a squeeze to my shoulders. "How could he not. You're ballin'!"

I cocked my eyebrow at her in confusion. "Ballin'?

"Yeah, you know? You rock?"

I smiled at her. "I do?"

"You do. Hardcore, mamma. You the rockiest of all the boulders. Big ballin' boulder, that's what I tell all my friends."

I snorted and pushed her hands away. "You're so full of it."

She snickered and pushed me to the side, walking into my closet and examining my clothes. "Now we just gotta find you an outfit that portrays that."

"I was thinking about wearing my blue silk blouse," I said coming up behind her and pointing it out on the hanger.

"Uh, no," she grimaced. "You're not wearing a silk blouse to a casual first date at a freaking coffee house. That is the opposite of ballin'."

"Well, then tell me all knowing one, what does one wear for a coffee date?" I tapped my bare foot impatiently on the hardwood floor.

She put her fingers to her mouth and hummed as her eyes scanned my miniature wardrobe. "Ah, what about this?"

She pulled out a black short-sleeved shirt with _Lit_ – my favorite band when I was younger – written in graffiti on the front. I totally forgot about that shirt. I had it for years. I got it from the first and only concert I had ever been to. I never even wore it.

"This is a bit immature for someone of my age..." I trailed off holding the shirt out to examine it.

"Mom, you're thirty-five, not sixty," she said with a shake of her head and dramatic roll of her eyes. "Besides, that shirt is bomb dot com. And totally making a statement."

"And what statement will I be making with it?"

"That you're lit," she laughed.

"What does that mean?"

"Basically that you're a cool chick and like to have fun."

"Oh..." I could deal with that. If I was going to be making a statement, then that one was it. I set the shirt on the bed and turned to my dresser. "Well, now I just need some bottoms. I was thinking my black leggings with the blue ribbon at the bottom?"

Mickey groaned and pushed past me to get to my dresser before I could open the drawer my hand was on. "No. No leggings. I am so sick of seeing you wear leggings."

I watched in horror as Mickey assaulted my dresser, throwing things haphazardly to the floor as she rummaged like a madman.

"Mckayla Renee, you're picking all that up!"

She studiously ignored me, continuing her aggressive violation of my dresser. After a few minutes she smiled and held up my one pair of daisy dukes.

My eyes bulged and I shook my head emphatically. "Oh, no. Nope. No way in heck. Those are my cleaning shorts." Is she crazy?

"Mom, their hot as fuck-"

"Language!"

"-and just the look you're going for."

"What kind of look is that exactly? Street corner hoochie?"

Mickey threw the shorts at me and chucked. "No, mom. Casual but fun. Remember fun? The thing you're trying to have? What you told me you needed?"

I could feel my face flushing at just the thought of going out into public with those things on. Even though I had bought them for just that reason. I was feeling adventurous one summer and wanted to surprise my ex husband with a little leg – a lot of leg, actually – and bought them on that whim. When I came home to show him however, the surprise was on me. He flipped his marbles that day, screaming at me about what was and was not acceptable to wear in public. So I did what I always did; I took his anger and tucked them far, far away. I only took them out when I was out of leggings and needed to deep clean the house. The bleach stains covering them could attest to that.

I sighed and shook the memory from my head. That was then. This was now. I let him control me then and I'd be damned if I continued that now. Mickey was right; I _am_ lit. I dropped the towel I was wearing with renewed confidence. My daughter didn't seem to appreciate that as she yelled, "MOM!" and ran from the room.

I laughed quietly to myself as I slipped on my underwear and bra. They were nothing fancy. At all. Flesh toned and supportive. I got dressed quickly as I was running out of time according to the digital clock on my nightstand.

I ran down the stairs in sock clad feet to see Mickey standing by the door with my beat-up up old black chucks danging from her fingers.

I scrunched my nose up. "Really?"

"What do you expect to wear with that outfit?" She rolled her eyes, her favorite thing to do when I was around. "Besides, if you're gonna do this, you may as well go balls deep."

"Mckayla!" That girl was on one lately. She just snickered as I grabbed my shoes from her fingers and hopped up and down trying to put them on. I was a nervous wreck. Halfway feeling like messaging Edward and canceling the whole thing.

"Am I really doing this?" I mumbled as I tied my shoes.

"Yes," Mickey said matter-of-factly. "You are and you're going to have an amazing time."

"What if I don't?" I whined and looked into her lake blue eyes. "What if I mess it all up?"

I would hate to ruin the illusion I had created of Edward and my new happy place.

"If you go there thinking the worst, then the worst has already happened. That's how you mess things up. You gotta go there with confidence and minimal expectations. That way you wont feel like you lost anything."

When did my girl get so insightful? I smiled at her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "Thank you, baby."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered and pulled away from me, her cheeks tinted pink. "Just try to have a good time."

I looked at the clock on the wall above the door and sighed. I was going to be late. "Guess it's time for me to go," I said and teetered on my feet, wasting time.

Mickey opened the front door and gestured for me to walk through. I grabbed my purse off the side table and shot Edward a quick message that I was on my way. I took a deep breath in through my nose and let it out of my mouth as I passed the threshold into the hot sunny day.

* * *

**wow, so thank you all for the reviews and faves and alerts and a special thanks to SunflowerFran for recommending this story. It really means so much! Next up is the date. Hope you're all still with me! also, should i make the chapters longer or are we cool with this pace?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five: Meet Me**

I was a bumbling mess of nerves when I pulled up in front of Bada Bean. So much so I had to re-park my car and adjust it three times before it was finally straight and in the lines. I took a deep breath and tried to steady my fumbling hands as I exited my silver Volvo. I dropped my keys twice before I shook the nerves off enough to walk into the small coffee house.

I had never been to this one before. It was very woodsy and rustic, the bar made out of light colored wood and a deer head hanging over the entrance. It's not a place I would have chosen, but it was... nice. New at the very least. And that's just what I needed in my life.

I bit my lip looking around for the familiar head of red hair, my nerves in over drive when I couldn't spot it. I went and sat at the front of the bar, closest to he door in case I needed to make a swift exit. I pulled my phone from my purse and connected to my mobile data. I immediately went to the meetme app and pulled up his message.

_I'll be waiting._

He sent that about fifteen minutes ago. That's how long it took me to find the place. I tapped my fingers nervously on the bar, as I sent a quick reply that I was there and scanned the occupied seats.

There was a couple sitting just to the left of me, their hands folded together and their eyes made for just each other. Next to them was an elderly man reading the paper and sipping on his coffee. In the far back was a man in a black leather jacket, his face in his phone and his hair tucked under a black knit beanie. My stomach clenched inside of me and my breath picked up.

_Could that be..._

Just then, the man lifted his intense gaze to the door, giving me a view of his gorgeous profile. His eye brows were drawn down and the set of his face anxious and troubled. He kept licking his lips and tapping his fingertips on his mug.

_Oh my._

I turned away just before his eyes could slide over to me and put my head in my hands. What the heck was I doing? That man is so far out of my league! Dread filled me at once, my stomach turning and my face draining of blood. He would take one look at me and hightail it right out of here.

"Miss?" I looked up at the young woman behind the bar. Had she been talking to me?

"Yes?"

"Would you like to order something?"

"Um..." I looked at the woman, then the door. Maybe I could run out before he saw me. I was about to stand up from the chair and book it when I felt a presence settle into the chair next to me.

"I would suggest the Campfire Latte. They're famous for it," the rough voice spoke. I whirled around and came face to face with... _him_. He had a nervous smile playing on his lips, his freckled nose twitching slightly.

"Oh," I breathed when my eyes connected with his mossy green ones.

He dipped his head down and looked up at me through a dark frame of lashes. "Bella, it's good to see you."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, my voice failing me as I tried to come up with something, anything, to say. He's real. He is real and sitting right in front of me, waiting for me to say something. Say something!

"It's good to see me, too!"

_Crap_.

I shook my head and laughed nervously, breaking contact with those hypnotizing eyes. I coughed and looked at the amused woman behind the bar. "I'll have that coffee then, please." My voice was hoarse with mortification.

I peeked at Edward from the corner of my eye. He had his face pointed down, his eyes trained on the bar as his shoulders shook with silent laughter. I could feel my face heating up and bit my lip to keep the tears I felt in my eyes from turning into actual sobs.

Of course I had already ruined the date. It took me less than ten seconds. That had to be breaking some record.

When I was finally given my drink, I paid quickly and took a sip to clear the lump forming in my throat. I tapped my fingers on the bar and turned back to Edward, avoiding looking into those eyes. He was already looking at me, his face turned up in a blissful smile.

"You know, you're even prettier than your picture," he said suddenly, taking me off guard. I blushed and looked down.

"Thanks," I mumbled to my feet.

"Would you like to join me in the back?" he asked already standing up. He held his hand out to me. I looked at it for a moment before taking it and letting him lead me to the back of the small coffee house. It was a secluded table which fit me just fine.

Edward pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit. I set my coffee down on the table and went to take a seat, my body awkwardly falling into the low chair. "Thanks," I said again. I didn't think it was possible to humiliate myself any further. But I'm sure I could figure it out.

Edward sat across from me and took a big gulp of his coffee before settling his eyes back on me. "I'm really happy you showed. I was starting to think I got stood up," he chuckled humorlessly and lifted the sleeves of his jacket to his elbows, setting them on the table and folding them, he leaned forward.

I shook my head. "No, I just got a little turned around on the way here and took too long getting ready," I admitted.

He nodded and smiled wide. "I feel that. Took me longer than usual to find something to wear. I don't usually care about appearances."

I blushed and did a little mental jig at the implication of his words. He wanted to put forth an effort. For me. For our date. It made butterflies kick into high gear in my tummy. "Me too."

We fell into an uncomfortable silence for a moment, Edward sipping his coffee, his eyes darting from his mug and then back to me, over and over. I just sat there with that dumb little smile on my face trying to avoid his eyes.

"So," Edward broke the silence and coughed out a rough little laugh, "I saw you at the bar looking like you were about to flee."

My eyes widened at his words. So he had noticed that. I bit my cheek and looked down. "I was... just wondering what the ever loving heck I was doing here," I laughed despondently with a shake of my head. I mean, Edward looked like he belonged in GQ and here I was sitting across from him like it was okay. Like I belonged there. It was laughable.

"Huh," he clucked, clearly irritated. I looked up and he sat back in his chair. "That's a blow to the old ego, thanks for that."

_What? Oh... oh, no. _

"No. that's not what I meant!" I quickly amended when I realized the implication of my words. He thought I didn't want to be here. With him. When it couldn't be further from the truth. I just didn't feel I belonged here and told him as much.

Edward looked up at me through his lashes, a curious smile tugging at his luscious lips. "How so?"

"Look at you!" I sputtered, nearly knocking my latte over with my emphatic hand gestures. I blazed red and looked back down to the table. If I could only stop embarrassing myself.

"No," he said curtly and waited until I looked up into his eyes to continue. "Look at _you_. You're a knock out, woman. I wouldn't have come here if I thought you weren't. Now stop all this fussing and let's have a good date." He punctuated his point with a knock on the table and satisfied smirk.

My mouth opened and closed a few times before finally setting on being closed. I didn't know what to say to that. My lady parts however, seemed to have a lot to say. I crossed my legs and couldn't help but to grin back at him.

"Okay?" he said with a nod of his head and a raise of his brows.

I nodded. "Okay."

"Good," he sighed with a mock roll of his eyes. "Now tell me about yourself."

I dreaded this line of conversation. What could I say about myself that wouldn't make me come off as pathetic and married to my work? I could talk about Mickey... but maybe that was too much for a first date. To bring up my kid. No, if he couldn't handle the fact that I had a kid, then he wasn't worth my time or effort. _Ugh..._

"What do you want to know?"

He hummed and stuck his delicious looking tongue out to dab at his bottom lip, his eyebrows screwed down in concentration. I couldn't help but giggle. He had such a cute thinking face.

"I guess the basics? What do you do for fun? Besides hiking, that is?"

My face paled, my eyes darting to the exit. The pit in my stomach trembled. Of course he would bring that up. Why wouldn't he? I told him I hiked, but I didn't know anyone would do that for fun. I chewed on my bottom lip and tried to think of something to say, ignoring the bit about hiking.

I tried to go for some honestly to hopefully quell some of the guilt squirming inside of me over my little white lie.

"I'm not terribly fun," I admitted ruefully. "I enjoy simple things like going to the movies with my daughter, taking my dog for walks and most of all I love coming home to watch reruns of Roseanne while I down a box of twinkies and a two-liter of root beer."

Okay, too honest. Dial it back a bit, lady!

Edward stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide and his mouth slackened. Oh, great. I scared him off. Or at the very least put a serious damper on his attraction to me – which was a miracle as it was.

Finally he opened his mouth and what came out of it had me reeling. "A whole damn box of twinkies? Where ya putting it all?" his voice sounded awed and not at all judgmental as his eyes roamed my form. I let out a little sigh of relief and smiled.

"It's that Swan metabolism, I tell ya," I joked, feeling lighthearted. He laughed and shook his head.

"Must be."

"So, what do you do for fun?" I threw the question back at him and he thought for a minute, that cute thinking face of his back in full effect.

"Skateboarding, rock climbing, bowling, and hiking are what I love to do when I have the time, which isn't much at all. I also get together with my friends almost every night to bitch about our days while we throw back a few and listen to music. It's tradition at this point. But what I absolutely love the most is sitting in my shop after hours and working on bikes. Not for money, but just the thrill of taking them apart and building them back up... it's an indescribable feeling."

"Wow," I breathed. Here I was pigging out every night while he was living his life to the fullest. A pang of jealousy hit me but I squashed it down. I made my choices in life, and while I didn't regret them, there were a few things that needed changing. Now. Here. In the present.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "It's a long list but it's not like I do all those things in one day. Hell, I barely do half of them in one month, but that's what's fun to me."

Again, this man is so out of my league. I didn't say so again. I didn't want to _fuss. _I mentally rolled my eyes at the word he used. But he needed to know that my life wasn't built for that before we went any further.

"That all sounds like a heck of a time, but you should know that my life just isn't cut that way."

He gazed at me curiously so I elaborated. "My life is work and my daughter. My daughter and work. Day in and day out, that's what I do. I don't have the time to-"

"Live your life?" he interjected with a challenging raise of his brows.

I bristled at the comment. But only because he was right. "The time to have fun. Not really."

He snorted. "Who does these days? Listen, we get one life to live and that's it. You gotta make the time before time takes it away. Like right now. You're here with me. I'm sure you have a laundry list of things that need to get done, but you're here. You made the time."

"_Yes..._" I said slowly trying to think of an excuse but coming up short. Edward realized this and smiled triumphantly, leaning back in his seat, clearly satisfied with himself.

He was right though. I had to admit. Everyday I made excuses on why I couldn't do this or why I shouldn't do that, but the truth was... I was scared. Scared to step out of my comfort zone and into the world of possibilities. I was safe in my bubble and something told me that my bubble was about to get popped.

Who knew a simple question about what I like to do for fun could lead to such revelations? I sighed and took a long sip of my latte, my eyes leveling with Edwards.

"Next question," I muttered into the lip of the mug and he snickered.

"Okay, what makes you happiest in life? And please don't say work," he begged with his fingers crossed over the table. I laughed at his antics and answered his question with ease.

"My daughter. She's my everything."

"Yeah? What's she like?"

I smiled at his genuine interest in my baby. At least it seemed genuine.

"Her name is Mckayla, but she'll lose her mind if you call her that. She prefers Mickey. She's... sweet. A little on the rough and tough side. I think she takes after my dad in that way. He's a real man's man and it seems my daughter is too," I laughed. Edward rolled his eyes mirthfully and gestured for me to continue. "She loves skateboarding and doing tricks on her bike. Loves to get dirty and swears like a sailor. She's my little tomboy and I wouldn't trade her for the world."

Edward grinned. "She sounds awesome."

"She is." I pulled my phone from my purse and pulled up a recent picture of Mickey. I treasured every opportunity to show her off. She was my golden-haired angel. I held my phone out to Edward and he leaned over to get a better look.

"She's a looker for sure. Just like her mom."

I blushed and nodded. "Yeah, she has my face and scrawny build, but everything else; her hair, her eyes, that's all her father."

I could feel my face puckering at the mention of her father and immediately regretted bringing him into the conversation. Edward seemed to sense my discomfort and quickly changed the subject to something I could handle – work.

"It's pretty cool that you own a bakery. What's that like?"

I perked up at having something to talk about. I could talk about work all day.

"It's a dream come true. I get to do what I love everyday. It can be a bit much at times, and sometimes I want to just rip my hair right out of my scalp because of how hectic it can be, but I truly love it. I love to bake, especially for other people, and seeing their happy faces when they pick up their orders or sit in my little bakery devouring the pastries I put my everything into... it's an amazing feeling."

"That's awesome. When did you open your bakery? _What_ made you open a bakery?" He leaned forward, seemingly genuinely interested in my story.

I smiled. "I opened it when I was nineteen and pregnant," I admitted. "I was left a large sum of money when my grandmother passed. I put it all into my business and then some. She and I always bonded over baking since I was little. She was... my best friend. She wanted me to open the bakery. It was her last wish for me."

I looked down sadly, thinking of Grandma Swan tugged at my heart strings. She just wanted the best for me. Knew what was best, always. She hated my ex, so she obviously had some talent at sniffing out what was best and worst for me. Because what a disaster he had turned out to be.

Edward's hand trailed across the table and his fingers brushed against mine. I looked up into his sympathetic eyes. His face pulled into a small smile. "I lost my parents when I was younger, so I get it. That's why I became a mechanic, actually."

"Oh," I sat up straighter and leaned over the table slightly. "Was your father a mechanic?"

He nodded his head and leaned back in his chair, sprawling his legs out underneath the table and bumbling his foot against mine. "He was the best. Everyone came to Masen Mechanics and Maintenance. It was the only place to go in Port Angeles for a fair deal."

"So you took over, or..."

He shook his head and looked down, shame written all over his face. "No. I went through a rough patch when my parents died. I was set to take over, but I blew through my inheritance in under a year and the business went downhill fast until it finally went under completely."

Edward sat straight up in his seat, his face taking on indifference. "I fucked that up," he choked out a quick laugh. "But I now have a small business. It's not exactly flourishing or raking in the dough, but it's what I love to do."

I could feel my face falling at his change in demeanor and shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "That's good, good that you're doing what you love. What's your shop called?" I was scrambling for anything to talk about, to get that cold look rinsed off his face.

"Masen Makeshift Motors," he laughed, emotion finally filling in his face again. "Try to say that ten times fast."

"Well, I like it. Kind of rolls off the tongue. And you work on cars and motorcycles there?"

"Yeah, mostly motorcycles though. I get a lot of bikers running in and out of town needing some work done."

"Oh, that sounds like fun."

"Yeah? You ever been on a motorcycle?"

I paled at his words. Another thing I never did. I still felt bad about my previous lie, and I didn't want to do it again, especially not in person. I was a horrific liar. I could never get away with anything. All someone had to do was look at my face and they would know I was lying. So I went with the truth.

"I haven't actually. Always wanted to ride on one though." And that wasn't even a lie. I had always wanted to ride on the back – or even the front – of a motorcycle, and when I mentioned it to my ex husband, he just laughed in my face and said I would look ridiculous. So I dropped it and never thought of it again. Until now.

"Is that so?" Edward smiled wide and took a giant gulp of his coffee. He stood up and reached for my hand. "Let's go then."

My eyes widened and my heart quickened to the point of pain. It felt like it was going to jump straight out of my chest. I opened my mouth to speak but the anxiety robbed me of all moisture.

Edward dropped his hand and looked at me suddenly unsure. "Or not?"

Disappointment was clear on his face. I hated to see it there, especially since I was the cause of it. So I swallowed down my fear and grabbed his hand, my skin flaming where it touched his.

I gulped audibly and nodded up at him. His smile returned and he hauled me to my feet and out the door.

* * *

**So, there's the date part one! I hope you all liked it and please leave a review if you did. How do you think part 2 will go?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six: Blissful**

"You're gonna love it!"

Edward pulled me excitedly through the throngs of people milling about. I could barely keep up, tripping over my own two feet constantly. His excitement was infectious though and I found myself smiling while my anxiety ebbed away.

Sure, I was still scared as a mouse being chased by a feral cat, but the adrenaline of what I was about to do was squishing that feeling effectively. I ran with Edward until we finally came up to a steely black motorcycle parked against the side walk.

"Here," he said letting go of my hand and gesturing grandly toward the bike, "is my baby." He smiled proudly down at the bike, patting the seat affectionately. He turned his eyes to me expectantly.

I smiled shakily and stepped up to the bike, inspecting it from the wheels to the handlebars. It was a very pretty bike, all black and chrome, like something out of The Matrix. It had a wide two-seater. I took a closer look. No seat belts. I guess motorcycles didn't have those? I bit my lip and stepped back, looking at Edward.

"It's very pretty."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Pretty? She's a pristine riding machine, Bella. And please refrain from calling her an' it'," he spat the word like it was garbage in his mouth. "Now please apologize to her." He nodded to the bike expectantly and I laughed.

But he wasn't laughing with me. In fact, he looked dead serious. I raised my eyebrows in question and when he didn't say anything else or crack a smile I breathed shakily and looked at the bike. "Sorry," I said embarrassed, my cheeks flaming.

Edward chuckled and threw his leg over the bike, situating himself on top of it, he reached out for my hand. "She'll forgive you as long as you sit your pretty little butt on her."

I clasped my hands behind my back and laughed lightly, teetering on my feet as I stared at the bike; my anxiety starting to kick back in at the prospect of actually sitting on the bike. While it moved. With no harness to keep me on it. I also noticed the lack of a helmet. _That_, I knew, was necessary when riding a bike. This was a precautionary tale waiting to happen.

I backed up a little and looked at Edward.

"I don't know..."

He dropped his hand and leveled me with an intense stare, his mossy green eyes peering down into my soul. "Get on the bike, Bella. It wont bite ya."

I chewed harder on my bottom lip, no doubt bruising it with my violent assault. I shook my head and gave Edward a sorrowful look. "I just can't."

"You can. See, all you do is throw that cute leg over the seat and then put your butt on it. It's easy."

I bristled at his patronizing tone. "I know how to sit, thank you," I said curtly.

"Then what's the problem?" he asked, his face pulled down in honest confusion.

I sighed and looked down. Ashamed at my utter lack of confidence – in myself and others. "I'm scared."

His mouth fell into a perfect 'O' shape as he realized that I was genuinely frozen in fear. Edward heaved himself off the bike quickly and came to stand in front of me. He bent down at the knees trying to catch my eyes with his. When I couldn't meet them he lifted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look at his smiling face. "That's part of the rush," he whispered, his breath fanning across my face.

I tried to look down again but his fingers held me still. "I wont let anything happen to you. I've done this a million times over and have never crashed a single bike in my life. Not even when I was young and reckless and _trying_ to crash one."

When his words did nothing to quell my fears, he added, "My spidey-senses are too strong. You're safer with me on that bike than driving in a car."

"Really?" I questioned doubtfully.

"I promise you, Bella. But I wont force you," he said taking a step back and releasing my chin. "If you don't want to ride, then you don't have to ride. It's as simple as that. We can go back into that coffee house and talk. But I think you'll regret it later if you don't. Something tells me this is just what you need."

"I need to ride on a motorcycle?" I highly doubted that was what I needed.

"You need the _thrill_ of riding on a motorcycle," he amended with a cock of his brow and a knowing smile tugging at his mouth. He stepped back slowly his eyes trained on mine. "C'mon. I'll stop if you don't like it," he promised.

I positioned my purse tightly in the crook of my elbow and without my consent, my feet followed after him. I reached out to his waiting hand and he grabbed it softly in his as he sat back on the bike, not letting go as I kicked my foot over the seat and sat down.

"Oh!" I jumped slightly, lifting my bare legs from the heat emanating from the bike.

Edward looked back and grimaced, his expression apologetic. "Yeah, probably not best to ride on a hot day in those shorts." He bit the inside of cheeks and then smiled. His rough hands were suddenly on calves, lifting my legs so they sat precariously atop his thighs, my feet hanging over his knees.

My eyes widened at the sudden change of position but I didn't say anything. Mostly because I was too shocked to get a word through my slackened jaw. Edward winked at me over his shoulder.

"Hold on tight, spider-monkey," he chuckled and then the bike roared to life. I quickly wrapped my arms around his middle and hid my face between his shoulder blades. I could feel the sudden acceleration of the bike as we started moving and peeked out slightly to see us weaving effortlessly though the traffic of a busy Sunday afternoon.

I closed my eyes to all of the hustle and bustle and just let myself feel; the wind in my hair, the vibrations of the bike – which I wasn't hating at the moment – and the adrenaline pumping through my veins. But most of all, the feeling of my body wrapped around Edward's so tightly that I could feel every breath he took, every muscle he used and the quick pounding of his heart.

"Bella," Edward shouted over the roar of the bike and I pried my eyes apart long enough to look at the back of Edward's head. "You okay back there?"

"I'm okay," I shouted back. And I really was. I was still scared, but the adrenaline, the rush... it was indescribable. I couldn't put words to it. I lifted my head slightly to look at the blurring of my surroundings, we were going a lot faster than I thought and no longer in traffic. I took a quick glance around. All I saw were trees and a long stretch of abandoned road ahead of us.

"Where are we going?" I asked, nervousness settling back in. I didn't know this man. What his intentions were. He could be leading me to my death and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

Instead of answering my question and quelling my fears, Edward replied with, "We're almost there."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise," he laughed, his body vibrating against mine.

I kept my eyes open then, searching for anything to indicate where we were, but seeing nothing; no road signs, no mile markers. Just trees, dirt and road. It was... exhilarating. Not knowing where I was going. Something inside of me trusted Edward or I never would have gotten on the bike with him in the first place, and so I let myself just relax into him and allowed him to take me wherever he pleased.

After another long few minutes I raised my head and yelled, "This is a long way to go if you're planning on killing me." I was only half joking.

Edward laughed loudly and shook his head but he said nothing in response. That's not creepy. Not at all.

Finally, after what felt like two hours of riding, he finally slowed, putting his feet down and stopping the bike. He kicked the stand down and then turned to look at me over his shoulder. "Did you live?"

I rolled my eyes and extracted my vice tight grip from his waist. "Guess that's still to be determined," I shot back.

He snickered and removed my legs from his and then hopped off the bike. He reached for my hand but my body wouldn't move. It was numb and buzzing all at once, my insides feeling like mush. When I didn't take his hand, he came over and lifted me around my waist, pulling my stiff limbs from the bike.

He set me down on my feet and staggered back, my body not cooperating with my brain just yet. Edward grinned down at me. "The first ride will do that to ya."

I smiled slightly and swayed on my feet, suddenly feeling dizzy. My body not reacting well to suddenly being on still ground. Edward grabbed my upper arms before I could collapse. "Whoa there, you doing okay?"

I nodded and slumped against his inviting chest, my fists framing my face. I could feel Edward laughing silently but ignored it. I felt like I was gonna hurl. Edward rubbed soothing circles on my back and finally after a few minutes of deep breathing, my body was feeling normal again. I looked up into Edward's worried face and smiled; a real, blissful smile.

"That was... amazing," I huffed out a laugh and shook my head. "That was beyond anything."

Edward beamed down at me. "I told ya," he said proudly.

I pushed myself back from his chest and looked around. We were in a small clearing, surrounded by trees and beautiful bright flowers that permeated the air with their perfume. "Wow," I breathed, my eyes taking it all in. "Where are we?"

"Just outside Port Angeles," he answered, crossing his arms over his torso. "I found this place when I was in high school. It's where I come to relax and find some peace. I thought you could use it for the same reasons," he admitted bashfully, not meeting my eyes.

My heart swelled in my chest at his words and a broad grin took over my face. "That so... sweet." Never had anyone done something that sweet for me and I'd only just met the man.

He sniffed and inclined his head but offered no further points on the subject. I stepped away from him and set my purse – it caused a major angry red line on my arm from where I held it so tightly between me and Edward – and walked further into the clearing.

It was beautiful; all green trees and colorful flowers, the hint of the sun peeking through the tall trees. And I could hear the tell tale signs of a creek bubbling somewhere in the distance. I twirled around the field of flowers, just letting myself take it all in.

I turned back to Edward with a wide smile, his own matching mine, and ran up to him. "This is the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life," I giggled excitedly and he chuckled.

"Then it's fitting for such a beautiful woman," he smirked.

"Thanks," I muttered to my feet, kicking a stray stick with the toe of my shoe.

He stepped closer to me. I licked my suddenly dry lips. I was alone in a secluded area with a man I was deeply attracted to but didn't know. I never thought my life would take such a turn. And for the better. That completely took me for a loop, almost as much as Edward did himself.

"Why do you look down every time I give you a compliment?" he questioned trying to meet my eyes.

I shrugged and refused to meet his inquisitive eyes. He took another step closer.

"You're beautiful," he said again and I breathed out a shaky little laugh.

Another step closer. "You're the prettiest woman I think I've ever seen in my life, and I've seen some dazzlers in my time."

Another step. "You don't like compliments," he asked.

I shrugged. "Until recently, I never really got any," I admitted. Not until I made the meetme and was flooded with them, but his were the first ones in person in I don't even know how long. I didn't know how to react to them.

Edward closed the distance between us and I took a hesitant step back, looking up into his mesmerizing eyes. "What are you doing?" I asked, unsure.

Edward stepped away from me with a sigh and then fell to the ground, sprawling out on the grass like a starfish. "Oh, just cloud watching."

I looked at him confused and he grinned up at me. "Join me?"

I fell unceremoniously to the grass, as he did, and he chuckled. I smiled along with him. He looked away and back to the sky, pointing. "That one looks like a turtle smoking a cigar."

I looked up to where he was pointing but all I could see were big puffy clouds separated by blue sky and rays of light. I squinted but still couldn't see it.

"You have to use your imagination," Edward said with a laugh.

I smirked. "I don't think I have any of that."

"Oh, come on. Everyone does. Just tap into it. Focus on a cloud until you see a shape start to form."

I did as instructed and focused on a smaller cloud to the left of the sky. It was surrounded by even smaller clouds. After a few minutes of intense squinting and trying to use what little imagination I had, I finally saw a shape start to form.

"Oh, I see a flower!" I said excitedly, pointing to it. I looked at Edward with an exuberant smile and he he followed my finger.

"Yep, that's definitely a flower," he confirmed with a nod and offered me a radiant smile.

We cloud gazed until the sun started to fall in the sky, the moon replacing it, and then we went on to make shapes from the stars.

"Firetruck!" I announced happily.

"What?" Edward sat up a little and leaned over me to get a better view. "Where the hell do you see a whole ass firetruck in the sky?"

"Right there," I said pointing to the large cluster of stars.

Edward huffed and fell back to the ground. "A damn firetruck," he muttered. "You're using that imagination a little too freely now."

I only grinned in response. I sighed contentedly, my eyes raking over the darkened field of flowers. Mickey would love to see this place.

Oh.. OH!

"Mickey!" I screamed jumping up from the grass and running across the field to my purse. I heard Edward jump up and take off after me. I hastily grabbed my phone from my purse and checked the time. It was well past six o'clock and I said I'd be home long before two. I tried to call her cellphone, but got no service in the area.

"Oh no," I muttered. I'm a terrible mother.

"What's wrong?" Edward came up next to me, concern washing over his features.

"We've been here for hours! I forgot about my daughter, my baby... how could I?"

Edward grabbed my arms to stop my pacing. "You were having fun. Time flies when you do that. I'm sure she's fine."

"She is not fine, she is fifteen years old." And I left her all day without even a call to check in on her. I never even did that when I was at work. I always sent her a text throughout the day to see how she was doing.

Edward let go of me and hopped on his bike while I continued my pacing trying to get a single bar of service. "C'mon. I'll drive you back to your car. You're not going to get any service out here."

I grabbed my purse from the ground, throwing my phone back in it and holding it tightly to my chest. I threw my leg over the seat and held onto to Edward with one arm as he sped off.

* * *

when we finally arrived back in front of Bada Bean, I jumped from his bike and almost fell in my haste. I pulled my phone out and quickly dialed Mickey's number.

"Mom," she sighed, relief clear in her voice. "I was getting worried here. Now I know how you feel when I don't come home on time," she laughed humorlessly.

"I'm so sorry baby, I lost track of time."

"So you had fun then?" she asked, her voice perking up.

I smiled into the phone, relieved that she was okay and not freaking out like I thought she would be. "Yes," I looked at Edward and he gave me a tight lipped smile back, "I had a wonderful time."

At that, Edward looked down and smiled a genuine smile.

"That's great! Can you pick me up from Tanya's on your home?"

Everything was fine. Everything was fine? I disappeared for a whole day and nothing came crumbling down around me. I had a good time and nothing bad happened. I looked at Edward with wide eyes and he gave me a knowing smile.

"Yeah, baby, I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Cool beans. Love ya!" she hung up before I could answer and I dropped my phone back into my purse.

"Everything okay then?" Edward asked.

I gave him a rueful smile and nodded. "I'm sorry for freaking out. I've just never... well, I've never, let's just leave it at that."

He nodded knowingly and got up from his bike. "Let me walk you to your car," he said offering me his elbow.

I giggled and took it. "So gentlemanly of you."

He sniffed, an arrogance taking over his features. "I do have my moments. Just don't get used to it."

I looked down as walked, my mind reeling at what he said. Don't get used to it. Meaning I would see him again. Right? I could just ask him. I looked up at him and he grinned down at me.

"What?"

"I was just wondering... would you... I mean, can we... uh, n-never mind." Stupid Bella. Just ask!

We reached my car and Edward opened the door for me after I unlocked it. He leaned on the frame and sat, a wistful smile playing on his face.

I laughed nervously. "What?"

"I'd like to go out again," he admitted with a shy smile.

I gave him one in return. "Me too."

"Good," he breathed, his face getting closer to mine. For a moment I thought he was going to connect his lips with mine, but instead he placed a tiny sweet kiss on my cheek, just next to my mouth. My body reacted instantaneously, wanting to get closer to those lips of his. I felt a heat I have never experienced spread throughout my body.

He lingered next to my face for a moment before stepping back and stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. "Message me when you make it home?"

I just nodded, words so not an option at the moment. He gave me one last long look before stepping away from my car and walking back to his bike. I smiled gleefully to myself when I knew he wasn't looking and watched in my rear view mirror as he rode away.

_That was... the best date ever._

* * *

**A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed. You legit made my week, so thanks for that. I really needed the perking up. Please let me know what you think. Next up, we're getting some Mickey time. I miss writing her. I'm glad everyone seems to like her, too!**

**Also, you wanna check out a weird little story I'm writing, you can go to my profile and give it a go.**

**Crush**

**Bella is obsessed with Edward. Edward is obsessed with himself. That's one thing they have in common. Middle school Edward and Bella.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven: Should Have Known**

"Mom!" Mickey threw herself at me when she got into the car, a satisfied grin on her face. "How was the date? I wanna know everything." She clasped her hands in her lap and looked at me very seriously.

I chuckled, the ever-present blush growing hotter. "It went well," I hedged carefully.

Mickey huffed. "Obviously. You were gone all day. I didn't know anyone could spend that much time at a coffee house."

I chewed anxiously on my lip and hid my face from her. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't tell her everything, seeing as I did exactly what she told me not to do and then some. I peeked at her expectant face out of the corner of my eye. Or maybe I could tell her. Mickey has always been a very understanding person. I just needed to tell someone, and Angela would absolutely blow a gasket if I told her that I got on a motorcycle – with no helmet – with a man I knew for ten seconds and drove off to a secluded area, far from where anyone could hear my pleas for help.

"C'mon, mom. How'd it go? I'm bursting in my britches here, lady!"

I eyed her dubiously. "Where do you come up with these things?"

"Don't change the subject," she countered.

I sighed as we pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. "Let's go talk inside."

She looked at me curiously but got out of the car and followed me closely.

We walked inside, well, I walked, Mickey was bouncing all over the place, overly hyped up to hear about my date. It made me smile and feel a bit better. She jumped on the sofa, tucking her feet underneath her and patted the cushion next to her. I sat down and turned to face her.

"The date was... exceptionally amazing," I gushed with a fire burning in my face.

Mickey clapped her handed together and bounced on her legs. "That's awesome! So what were you two talking about that it took up a whole day?"

I tilted my head to the side and thought about what we had discussed. While we covered quite a bit, we hadn't actually talked too much about anything in particular."We talked about what we liked to do for fun-"

"I'm sure that took all of five seconds."

"-and," I proceeded ignoring her jab, "our work and daily lives. He asked about you and I showed him a picture. He thinks you're a looker." I nudged her arm playfully.

"As he should. I take after my mama," she beamed. "So, what else? Like did you go into your whole life stories in excruciating detail 'cause I'm not seeing how this discussion took up a whole day." She looked confused.

I sighed. Okay, moment of truth.

"Well, no. we only talked for about fifteen minutes before... before we, uh... left."

"Left? Where the hell did you go, Antarctica? Mom... I told you not to go anywhere with him. Stranger danger, hello!" She waved her hands in front of my face, incredulity covering her features.

"We didn't go far..." I lied. I couldn't help it. The look she was giving me was making me uneasy. How could I tell my fifteen year old daughter that I hopped on a bike with a stranger and rode two hours into the middle of nowhere and then tell her it was like a fairy tale? That's basically telling her that what I did was okay. And it wasn't. While it turned out like a dream, it could have ended very badly. No. I couldn't tell her that.

"It's almost nine o'clock and you left here at noon. Where did you go?" she persisted, her eyes boring into my own.

I groaned and grabbed at my face with my hands, tearing at the skin. I was so torn. I didn't want to – couldn't – lie to my daughter while she asked me an outright question. Gosh, I felt like a child being reprimanded. Besides, I really wanted to tell someone about my incredible day.

"Okay," I cried holding up my hands in both surrender and as a buffer, my words coming out in a rush. "We got to talking about his shop, he works on motorcycles a lot, I said that it sounded like fun so he asked if I've ever been on a motorcycle and I was like, 'no, but I've always wanted to' and then he was like, 'well, here's your chance' so I took it! I took my chance and hopped on the back of his bike and he took us two hours outside of Port Angeles to a secluded field – it was so beautiful! Oh my gosh, Mick, it was just magical. And then we cloud and star gazed for hours. And don't you ever think about pulling something like this just because I did it!"

I cracked an eye open. I hadn't even realized I had closed them in my muddled rant. Mickey sat completely still, her face ashen and her mouth slack. She said nothing for a few minutes and I was getting antsy. And a little worried. She looked quite sick. I stuck my hand out and touched her shoulder, effectively breaking her from her trance.

She jumped off the couch and paced the floor in front of me. "You... you did _what_ now? Are you kidding me? Mother! I specifically told you not to do something like that." She clapped her hands together loudly. "Who knows what could have happened to you! Are you insane?"

My head fell in shame and I looked up at my extremely irate daughter in contrition. "I don't know what came over me, Mick. I just... trusted him. I trust him."

"You don't even know the man!"

"Mickey, I-"

"What? You thought it would be okay to put yourself in danger like that? Like no one would miss you if you were gone? Like I don't matter," she started sobbing, her shoulders heaving. The sudden emotion leaving me breathless. "You wanna leave me like dad did, is that it?" Mickey stilled her pacing and gaped at me wide eyed and vulnerable. As vulnerable as I had ever seen her.

My face paled my blood ran cold. She had never... I would never...

"Mickey..." I reached out for her hand but she jerked it away and angrily wiped at the tears covering her face.

"Leave me alone!" She turned and ran up the stairs with Leah running after her, a low whine coming from both of them.

I fell back on the sofa and buried my head in my hands. That was the first time she had mentioned her father since he left. And it was because of me. Because of a decision I made. I made the choice to take a chance on life, when really I was taking a chance _with_ my life and I didn't care in the moment.

How could I not care? How could I do that to my baby? Tears poured freely from my eyes, my body convulsing as I cried for the broken heart of my daughter. And for the fact that I had been too blind and too busy to see it before.

How could I be so reckless?

I had to talk to her. Make things right. Make things better.

I waited until my tears subsided before I slowly crept up the stairs and knocked on Mickey's door. She didn't answer and I tried the doorknob. It wasn't locked. Mickey lay curled around Leah, her fingers gripping the scruff of her neck as her body shook with violent sobs.

"Oh, Micky," I breathed, taking a tentative step toward her bed. "I'm so sorry."

My only answer that she heard me was a gut wrenching cry. She buried her face further into Leah's fur as I neared her.

"I didn't know, baby. I should have. I should have known how much this all hurt you." I sat on the edge of the bed and softly touched her hand. She squeezed harder on Leah, pulling her closer to her face and chest and herself away from me. "I just didn't know," I sighed, the tears welling back up in my eyes.

I should have known better. I should at least thought about her and my decisions effected her. But I didn't and there was nothing I could say to make up for that. I felt lost and cold and I patted her leg and she jerked it away from my touch.

"I'm here, Mickey. I'm here if you want to talk or just cry or... whatever you need."

Mickey coughed out a rough laugh and popped her head up slightly. I felt a pang in my heart when I took in her swollen red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Good to know," she spat, her anger unlike anything I had experienced from her before. "I want to be alone now."

I sighed and shakily stood up and exited her room, quietly clicking her door shut. I leaned against it, my body sagging and drained.

I was a terrible mother. A good mother would have noticed that her daughter was in pain – seen through her overly cheery facade. But not me. I was too busy. When my ex left me, I threw myself into my work, when I should have thrown myself more into Mickey's life. Been there for her. She was just a kid. A kid whose father abandoned her without much of a goodbye and a mother who stayed physically but checked out mentally and emotionally. I went through the motions of being a mother, but I wasn't actually being a mother to her.

I just checked out on her. The realization hit me like a semi-truck. My face crumbled at the thought of what I had unknowingly, but willingly done to the most important person in my life and I slumped to the floor, leaning my head back on the door. Mickey deserved better than that. And it took me taking a wild chance on my life to figure that out.

* * *

I woke up the next morning with puffy eyes and dark circles. My skin was red and blotchy from crying myself to sleep and when I bumped into Mickey on her way to the bathroom, she looked much the same, if not worse. I tried to talk to her, but she just walked right by me and slammed the door to the bathroom. I went into the kitchen and made her pancakes for breakfast and left them on the counter and went to work.

I wanted to give her the space she so obviously needed.

It was half past noon when I checked my phone, the first time since early yesterday. I had a couple messages from Edward. I never did tell him I made it home safely. Something inside of me felt dirty when I opened his message, like I was doing something against my daughter. It didn't feel right, but I read through his messages anyway.

_Did you make it home alright?_

_Bella?_

_Are you okay?_

_Please answer me._

And then one more from this morning.

_Look, I don't know what happened here. I thought we had a good time? Maybe you're just really busy. But get back to me and let me know what's going on. Please._

I sighed and leaned against the flour and dough covered counter, the order of cupcakes I was making forgotten. What could I say to him? What did I want to say to him? I knew I wanted to see him again, but I needed to make things right with Mickey first. That was priority one. So I took the easy way out of a bad situation.

_**Hey, Edward. Sorry for the lateness of my reply. We did have a good time. I just have a lot going on right now. I've made a mess of things and just need a little bit of time to sort them out.**_

His reply was almost instantaneous.

_Oh, do you wanna talk about it?_

_**It's just something that I have to work out on my own.**_

_Do you want me to leave you alone?_

I scrubbed at my bleary eyes with my forearm. What did I want? What did Mickey need? I wanted to keep talking to him, but did Mickey need me to stop? Because of what happened? I didn't have the answers and a noncommittal response would be wrong. He did nothing to deserve that.

I groaned and slapped my hand down on the counter. Why did this have to be so hard? I wish I just had the answers right now at this very moment. So I could let him know one way or another. I breathed in shakily and sent my reply. It was the best I could offer right now.

_**I don't want you to leave me alone. But can we talk more later? I have a lot going on right now. Just know that I had an absolutely wonderful time with you. And you did nothing wrong.**_

I turned my phone off and set it back in my purse and went about the rest of my day in a daze with unanswered questions swimming in my mind.

* * *

I got home a little after six and was surprised to find Mickey sitting on the sofa. She usually spent as much time with Tanya as she could. It was rare that she was home after school.

"Hey," I breathed, taking a few steps closer to her. "How are you?"

Mickey looked at me for a moment before her head fell. "Look," she started softly, "I don't want to talk about my feelings right now. I just wanted to apologize for yelling at you."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I rambled quickly and sat down on the sofa next to her. "I'm the one that needs to apologize to you. For everything. Not just for last night. I-"

"I said I don't want to talk about my feelings, okay?" she snapped and I shut my mouth. She looked at me and her lake blue eyes shone with utter heartbreak. Had they always? Since he left? And I was too caught up in my own hurt to see it?

Mickey sighed and shook her head. "Do you like him?" she asked suddenly.

"Who?"

"Edward. Do you like him?"

I nodded minutely and she tilted her head up to look at me. "Then I'm happy you had a good time. I don't agree with what you did, I think it was _reckless_ and _stupid_," she spat the words like venom in my face, "but I am happy that it all worked out for you."

"Thank you," I muttered and tried to look into her eyes but she refused to meet my gaze.

Her response was clipped and curt. "Yep."

"So... you don't think I should stop seeing him then?" I had to ask. I needed to know. Edward needed to know. Mickey looked at me like I had sprouted wings and talons right in front of her.

"What? No. why would I?"

"You were so upset..." I started, confusion lacing my voice.

Mickey laughed humorlessly and stood up from the sofa. She trudged to the stairs and then stopped halfway up. She looked back at me with a shake of her head. "I wasn't upset with _him_, mom."

She didn't leave room for comment as she stomped the rest of the way up the stairs and then slammed her door shut. I heard the click of her door locking, effectively shutting me out.

* * *

**Okay, so there you have chapter seven. Brought Mickey back as promised, but maybe not in the way you would have wanted. But stick with me, people!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter eight: Confrontations**

Three days. It had been three days since Mickey spoke to me. Looked at me. Or even acknowledged my presence. And it had been three days since I had messaged Edward or looked at my messages for that matter. I couldn't even think about anything other than the broken heart and angry manner of my usually happy-go-lucky Mickey.

It was torture.

I tried to talk to her only to be met with the cold shoulder. No yelling, no glaring. Nothing. I would have preferred she thrown a fit. This utter indifference to my presence was not okay with me and I was dang near fed up. I had never had issues with Mickey. Sure, she threw fits over small things, but she got over them in ten seconds and went back to calling me mommy and cuddling up with me. Never had she been so cold. Not to me.

"Mickey," I called up the stairs. "Dinner is ready." I wiped my hands on my apron and leaned against the wall. I knew she wouldn't come. She never did. I didn't know what or when she had been eating because it sure wasn't anything I made. And she had been refusing the lunch money for school.

Like I had assumed she would, Mickey ignored me. I sighed and walked back to the kitchen to have dinner alone. Again. My phone burned a whole in my purse. I hadn't had much need for it the past few days. While I thought about Edward constantly, I was in no state to interact with him. He deserved better than a basket case. And that's all I was these days.

Heck, I didn't know what to do. I had never been in this position. I felt so torn. Mickey was angry with me, hating me and nothing I did or said could bring her back to me. And Edward... well, I didn't know what was going on with Edward and I felt absolutely terrible for that. I just couldn't. Couldn't make myself message him and tell him that our date had caused such a fuss. Or that my actions on the date had caused such an avalanche of repressed emotions to come crashing down in my house.

Mostly, I felt bad. I felt bad because of what I did. I felt because of how my actions had effected Mickey. I felt because... I didn't feel bad for the date itself. I wouldn't trade it. My actions were reckless, but it all ended well. Better than well, it ended spectacularly. And feeling like I had to apologize for it was making me a teeny bit mad.

But part me felt like I shouldn't be mad at Mickey. She was hurting, that much was obvious. And she was angry, that much was way too apparent. What wasn't though, was what I should do about the situation.

I pushed my peas around my plate with my fork, leaning my head on my hand and my elbow on the table. I sighed long and hard as I tried to come up with a game plan, something to fix this mess so everyone was happy.

I heard a low buzzing from my purse and got up to grab it. I had very few people who called me; my dad, mom, and Angela. I was glad to see my father's face pop up on the screen.

"Hey, dad," I answered.

"Bells, how have you been?" his rough voice came over the line.

I played with a loose string on the collar of my shirt. "Oh, you know. Just dandy as usual. How about you?"

"I'm good. Your mother has been driving me up the wall," he chuckled. "She's planning some surprise for me. She's been dropping hints. Too many if you ask me. Pretty sure I'm getting a new fishing pole and a night on the lake."

"That's good," I mumbled distractedly. I tried to listen, but my mind kept wandering to other pressing matters.

"What's going on? You doing okay?" He sounded worried.

"Yeah, yeah. Just.. got a bit on my mind right now."

"Is this about that date you went on?"

My eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"

"Mickey called your mom. She was not happy about something and I guess needed someone to talk to."

I groaned and grabbed my face with my free hand. So Mickey is talking, just not to me. "What did she say?"

My dad whistled in a low breath. "Well, now she just went on about how you may have done something reckless. I didn't get the full story from your mom, so I'm guessing it's kind of bad. Is it?"

I sighed and glared up the stairs as I walked to the sofa. "I was reckless, I'll admit, but I'm here talking to you so everything went alright." I was getting agitated, aggravated, and slightly humiliated. Why would Mickey call my mom? To tell on me?

"I'm guessing so," my dad said after a minute.

"I need some help, dad," I finally admitted. I held the phone between my ear and shoulder and wound my fingers anxiously together. "Mickey wont talk to me because of the date. She said because I tried to leave her... like... her dad did. Which isn't true at all. I would never leave her. Yes, I made some wild choices, but I didn't feel in danger. I trusted that man completely. I don't know what it was about him, but I felt safe. I wouldn't have done what I did otherwise. And Mickey has me feeling like..." I took a deep breath to steady myself.

"Like a bad mom."

My dad's reply was instantaneous and loud, full of conviction. "You are not a bad mom, Bella. Furthest thing from it. I don't know what happened or how it correlates with that piece of shit you married, but you need to talk this out with Mickey."

"She wont even look at me!" I threw my hands up in exasperation. How could I talk to someone that wouldn't give me the time of day.

My dad snorted. "She's fifteen. Living under your roof and behind a door you allow her to have. I get that she's upset, but that's no reason to disrespect you. If you're feeling some type of way, then you talk it out."

"Dad, I can't force her to-"

"The hell you can't! You're her mother."

"Yes, but she feels-"

"She feels like she's got the run of the house," he interrupted with an angry huff. "You always did let that girl get away with too much foolishness. But that doesn't make you a bad mom, it makes you just a little foolish yourself. Go talk to your daughter, yell, scream, slam doors, but you get all of it out on the table. Tonight. Don't let this mess go on another day."

I pursed my lips and grabbed the phone, my eyes trained on the stairs. "I don't know what I'm doing," I admitted.

"You're a parent. Join the club," he laughed. "Go talk to her, do whatever needs to get done. Okay?"

I nodded, mostly to myself, my eyes still trained on the stairs. "Love you, dad."

"Love you too, Bells."

I pressed end on the phone and threw it on the sofa. I stood up and marched to the stairs, taking deep calming breaths as I went.

"Micky! Come down here, please." I would try for a peaceful approach. At first.

Of course she didn't answer. I took a deep breath and mounted the stairs up to her room. There was quiet rock music playing from inside. I knocked on her door. "Mickey," I called out.

Still no answer. I pounded my fist on the door. "Mckayla Renee, you open this door right now."

Maybe it was the tone of my voice, a tone I rarely used, or maybe it was me beating her door with my fists, but Mickey opened the door, her eyes guarded. She didn't say anything as I pushed passed her and sat on the edge of her bed. I indicated that she should take a seat next to me, but instead she sat at her desk.

"Mickey, we need to talk," I started. She dropped her head and shook it from side to side, her eyes on the floor.

"Yes, we do," I continued. "This behavior, this lack of respect, I never would have expected this from you and I'm not sure how to deal with it to be honest. But I know one thing for sure, it will not be continuing."

She looked up then, a small smile on her face. I didn't know what the smile meant as it didn't reach her eyes.

"I know you're upset with me. What I did was reckless, but I wouldn't have done it if I didn't trust Edward. You have to know that. I would never willingly leave you behind. Ever."

She laughed humorlessly and when she spoke her voice was hoarse from disuse. "Dad used to tell me that I was the most important thing to him. He would tuck me in at night and say wild horses couldn't drag him away. But, look," she scanned the room with her eyes and held her hands out. "Do you see him?"

I sighed and stood from the bed taking a step closer to her. She watched me but didn't make a move to get up. That was good. I knelt down in front of her, catching her tearful eyes with my own. "Your dad... he will regret this for the rest of his life-"

I was cut off with a snort and the rolling of eyes, a few tears making their way down her cheeks.

"Really, Mickey," I pushed on. "He will know what he lost in you."

"Then why wont he just come back? He could come back and say he was sorry to me and I would forgive him. All he has to do is come back." She buried her face in her hands and her head between her parted knees.

Putting my hand in her hair, I laid my lips to her head. I didn't know what to say. Her father, he was here one day and gone the next. It threw me for a loop and apparently had devastating results on Mickey that I hadn't seen until now. I didn't know if he would come back for Mickey so I couldn't say that he would. I didn't know if he regretted his decision to leave her behind, but I knew he would one day. How could he not?

"Listen to me," I murmured into her hair. "He left and I am so sorry that you're hurting, but I'm here and I will never leave you."

She sniffed and raised her tearful eyes to mine. "But you almost did. What if that guy was a serial killer, mom? What if you never came home from that date?"

"But I did," I reminded her.

She pushed my hands away and leaned back in the chair, sniffling through her stuffy nose. "But you might not have. You got on a motorcycle and went who knows where with a stranger. You had to have known that you were taking the chance of never coming home. Why would do that, mom?" her voice broke and she wiped at her tears with the front of her shirt.

"Baby, I never once thought that I was in any real danger. If I had, I wouldn't have gone with him. I promise you that."

"But there's always a chance!" she argued. "And you took that chance, mom. Anything could have happened and you chose him over me in that moment."

I shook my head and grabbed her hands. "I did not. Now you listen to me, okay. And you listen good. I will never choose anyone over you. In that moment, I was just thinking about how I never experienced much of a life. And that's not because of you," I quickly added. "It's because of choices I made and choices I let your father make for me. I didn't take a chance on possibly dying, I took a chance on possibly living. Do you get that? I just wanted to live, Mickey. Please understand that and know that you are still my number one."

Her shoulders dropped and she looked down. She squeezed my hands after a few minutes and nodded. "I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry for ignoring you and for being a bitch and just... I was upset about dad mostly and I took it out on you. I'm just sorry."

I pulled her in for a tentative hug and she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. "I really am glad you had a good time. You deserved it," she mumbled into my ear. I squeezed her tighter, a small smile on my face.

"Thank you," I whispered.

* * *

I left Mickey to gather herself, giving her some privacy, I knew she hated for people to see her cry. I felt better and I think Mickey did too. That discussion was long overdue. There was probably more that needed to be said and done, but we were taking a step in the right direction.

I sat on the sofa with a sigh and turned on reruns of Roseanne as I finally picked up my phone and logged into meetme. I was bombarded with notifications and messages from the past three days and I searched for ten minutes until I came across Edward's name.

_Take all the time you need._

He hadn't messaged me since. I didn't know if he was just giving me my space that I asked for or if he thought me too much of a burden to deal with. More trouble than I was worth. I didn't know what to say to him. What could I say? 'Hey sorry for not talking for three days, hope you're still waiting on me'? No, I couldn't say that.

I went for simple and easy. If he responded then I had a chance. If he didn't then... I guess I mucked this up for good.

_Hi, Edward._

I put my phone down and focused on my show. My phone kept buzzing with messages, my heart about ready to beat right out of my chest every time, but they were never from him. I waited for hours. My heart in my throat and my body buzzing with anticipation. I waited but he never messaged me back. I fell asleep on the sofa to old reruns of my favorite show and when I woke the next morning, there was still nothing from him.

I sighed, resigned and got ready for work. I was more trouble than I was worth.

* * *

"Darn it!" I growled my face and hair covered in the mixture I was making in the blender. I forgot the dang lid. I never made mistakes like that. I was running late on all of my orders, my head in a tizzy of emotion and longing and aching.

"Bella?" Angela came in the back and looked at me with horror. "Wow," she muttered, a small smile tugging at her lips. It fell at the glare flaring in my eyes.

"What do you need Angela?"

"Uh, well, you may want to get cleaned up a bit."

"Yeah?" I scrubbed at my face with a rag roughly.

"Yeah, there's someone here asking for you."

I groaned and threw the rag down on the counter. "Kinda busy, Ange. Just tell them to leave their order with you if they have one."

"He doesn't want to order anything," she said softly, coming over to help me clean up the mess I made.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, if he's here to complain about an order, then tell him to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. I am not in the mood."

Angela laughed quietly and shook her head. "Not here to complain. He says he doesn't have much time though and would really like to speak with you."

"Ugh! Fine!" I grumbled as I pushed off the counter and made my way to the front. I composed myself before I walked through the threshold; putting on my professional face and held my head high.

There was man standing next to the counter, his back to me. His white t-shirt was covered in grease stains and his white snap back was much the same. "Sir, how can I help you today?"

He turned abruptly at the sound of my voice and I nearly fell over. "Edward?" I took a step toward him and he smiled widely, humor in his eyes.

"I see you're covered in baby batter."

I sputtered and stuttered, not really making any sense as I wiped the concoction from my face with my hands. "I... you... Wh-why are you... huh?"

He never replied to my message and last time I looked, he hadn't even opened it. I never expected to see him again. Especially now, when I was such a mess. I dropped my hands from my face and offered him a weary confused smile.

I took a deep breath and started over. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you have a minute to talk?" He walked over to the door to the outside and nodded towards it, all humor gone, replaced with a serious air.

"Angela," I called over my shoulder and she popped her out from the back. "Could you please take over for me for a few minutes?"

"Sure thing, boss. Take your time."

I nodded and followed Edward outside. He leaned against the large window that displayed the name of my bakery and stared at me somberly.

"Hi, Edward?" he asked, incredulity in his voice. "Nothing for three days and then I get that? I don't like games, Bella-"

"I'm not playing any games!" I said hurriedly and took a step closer to him. "I swear. I just had some things to deal with at home."

He eyed me up and down. I didn't know of he believed me or not. "That's it?" he asked, doubt lacing his voice.

"That's it."

He nodded. "You sure?"

"Yes."

"So you still wanna go out again then?" He pushed off the window and walked over to me until we were just an inch apart. He bent at the knees and caught my fluttering eyes with his. "Because I still want to go out with you."

I smiled and looked down at our feet. His black biker boots were scuffed up and rocking back and forth. "I do," I said quietly.

"Good," he sighed and took another long step forward, closing the distance between us. I looked up startled.

His eyes shone with concern as he opened his arms and gingerly wrapped them around me. I sighed and let myself fall into him, the side of my face pressed into his chest and my arms around his waist.

"What's been going on?" he murmured into my hair.

"Let's just say I might need to go back to that field for some peace," I told him.

He pulled back from me slightly to look in my eyes. "That can be arranged."

I smiled and let go of his waist, putting my hands in the front pocket of my apron as I took a few distancing steps. Being near him made me head all muddled. "Don't tempt me right now," I half-joked with a small laugh.

He smiled. "Well, we should both be getting back to work."

I nodded and took a step toward the door. "I _will_ message you," I told him before heading inside, putting an emphasis on _will_.

"I'll be waiting," he grinned and walked over to his bike. He heaved one leg over and gave me that devastating smile of his as he sat down. "Don't make me wait too long, though. I know where you work," he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and watched him ride away before going back inside. The girls behind the counter all scurried when they saw me approach. They were obviously watching me through the window, their eyes alight with curiosity.

Angela eyed me when I walked to the back, taking in my newly blissful smile. "You seem happy," she noted. "Who was that gorgeous man?"

I blushed and went back to filling my orders. "Just a guy I had a date with." But he felt like so much more than that.

Angela stopped what she was doing and gave me an incredulous look. "You went on a date? And you didn't tell me! Okay, best friend meeting, right now!"

I laughed. "I just wanted to see how things went before I told anyone about it. Didn't want to jinx myself, ya know?"

Angela nodded, placated. "Okay, so how was the date then?" She was bouncing on her toes. We never got to have girl talk like this. She was married with a couple kids and her husband was always gone on business trips. And I, well, I didn't date. Not even when I was married.

I smiled at the counter. "It was beyond incredible, Ange. Words can't describe it. He is the sweetest man and him coming here today just reinforced that image."

"Aww," Angela sighed, her eyes peering into mine. "What did you guys do?" she asked excitedly.

I took a deep breath. Here we go again.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't like notes at the beginning of stories, but here we go. **

**1\. There are very mixed views on Mickey and Bella and their relationship, and trust me I understand that. I don't like to write perfect characters. This is a mostly lighthearted story with flawed characters in need of character development. So stick with me.**

**2\. At its core, this is a family story, so there will be a lot of Mickey in it. You should know that. But this is also a romance story, there will also be a lot of Edward. We're getting there.**

**3\. I don't know how long the story will be. Most of it is already done, but I keep going back and editing and adding. Your reviews really help me to flesh it out.**

**4\. I know I'm not a great writer, I just started in my writing journey.**

**5\. I welcome all reviews, even the negative, but please don't attack me as a person. I came here to share my stories. That's it.**

* * *

**Chapter nine: A Walk in the Park**

Things at home were... tense. Better. But not right. Not how they used to be. Mickey was slowly going back to her old self, but something was off about her. She was more curt and clipped in her words, her eyes stayed guarded as well as the way she carried herself.

It was like she was getting ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

I was getting a little worried about the change in my daughter, but I didn't know what to do about it so I just let it be. For now. Parenting was becoming a difficult task as I tried to manage being a single mother and a friend to her. I had always been her friend, and maybe that's where I went wrong. Growing up, my mom and my grandma were my best friends, and I carried that on with my own daughter. I enjoyed being her friend, but it made being a parent a challenge.

I sat on the porch with a beer in hand, enjoying the warmth of the night when Mickey came rolling by on her skateboard, tugging a laughing Tanya behind her on her skates, the rope between them taut.

"Faster!" Tanya laughed and Mickey obliged, her eyes meeting mine briefly before she looked away.

After our little confrontation, Mickey had trouble meeting my eyes. I had thought that we got through the most difficult of the situation, but something told me we just only began to touch base. She wasn't cold toward me, but not warm like she used to be. But she stayed home more often than not instead of out with Tanya like she usually preferred. It didn't make much sense. Did she want to be near me or not? I couldn't put the puzzle pieces together.

I smiled at her when our eyes met and she gave a tight-lipped one back. I sighed and grabbed my phone from next to me and went to meetme. Edward and I had begun talking all the time, always asking how our days were going and planning our next date.

He wanted to go hiking. I tried to avoid it the best I could, stating that I needed to get new shoes for such a thing. He seemed to buy it. For now. So we were still discussing what to do tomorrow on our day off.

_Rock climbing? They provide shoes._

I rolled my eyes at his message and smiled. He was very persistent that we do something active and adventurous for our next date. I was very persistent that we didn't.

_**How about dinner?**_

_We can have dinner after. Come on, Bella. It will be fun!_

I groaned and took a long gulp of my beer. How did I get out of this? I didn't want Edward to see my total lack of muscle coordination so soon in our dating lives. I needed him smitten before he realized that I was a klutz that could barely walk across a flat surface, let alone vertically on some rocks.

Was that manipulative? I wondered briefly before shaking my head of the thought.

I decided to be semi-honest with him, not lying or misleading.

_**I just want our next date to be calm and give us a chance to talk some more.**_

_Okay. Then how about a walk in the park with the dogs? You don't need special shoes for that. I checked. ;)_

I giggled to myself and typed back that I would love to go for a walk in the park with our respective canine companions. I set my phone down and watched as Mickey jumped off her skateboard and used the rope to swing Tanya in circles around her in the driveway, narrowly missing my car in the process.

"Be careful please!" I shouted.

"Sorry," they both yelled back and laughed when Mickey swung Tanya right into the grass causing her to topple over, a mess of tangled limbs and strawberry blonde hair.

I shook my head at their antics and went inside to start dinner. I decided to make Mickey's favorite tonight, tacos with all the toppings. I was trying to get her to... I didn't want to say like me again. But I guess that's what I was doing. It's not that I thought she hated me but I missed our relationship. Things changed after my date and I didn't like it. I wasn't trying to buy her love so much as I was trying to salvage a very important part of my life.

I know. Pathetic, right?

I called the girls in when the food was done and the trimmings all laid out on the table. They came running in, their hands clasped together. Mickey quickly pulled her hand from Tanya's when she entered the kitchen. Tanya looked a little taken aback but sat down next to her quietly.

I kept wondering when Mickey would feel comfortable enough to tell me about that part of her life. I knew. I had known since she was three and looking up mannequins skirts at the mall. But I didn't want to bring it up. That was personal to her and she would come to me when she was ready. So I just sat back and watched the two of them together, eating in silence.

"The tacos are really good, Miss Swan," Tanya said after swallowing a giant mouthful.

I smiled at her, grateful to her for breaking the silence. "Thank you." I turned to Mickey. "You like it?"

Mickey nodded and smiled tightly around a bite of her food. Tanya looked at her curiously but didn't say anything.

"How's school? Getting good grades?" I asked them both, grappling for something to talk to about. I needed to fill the silence. It was unnerving with Mickey around. I usually couldn't shut her up.

"Yeah, I got an A on my Bio paper," Mickey replied looking down at her half-finished taco.

"Me too!" Tanya piped in, smiling indulgently at Mickey. "I had the best partner." Mickey looked at her and gave her a wide smile in return.

I nodded awkwardly, not sure what to say. Mickey couldn't even muster a genuine smile for me but always had one on hand for Tanya. I tried to squish down the unwelcome resentment toward a fifteen-year-old girl that got to see the old Mickey that I craved. It was stupid, petty and childish. I felt foolish.

We finished our dinner and Mickey turned to me, somewhat reluctantly. "Hey, mom?"

"Yes?"

"Can Tanya stay the night?"

My eyes widened at the request. She had never asked for Tanya to stay the night before. And had never spent the night at her house either. I didn't know what to do in this situation. I never had a problem with her friends staying the night on the weekends, it didn't bother me. So how could I say no to this one? Mickey didn't know that I knew. So if I said no for the same reason I would say no to a boy staying the night then she would know that I knew. I wanted her to come to me and tell me, not throw it in her face.

"Mom?" she called pulling me from my thoughts.

"Um..." What could I say? I didn't want to tell her no and not give her a suitable reason why. Because I really never minded before. I didn't want her to think I didn't like Tanya because I actually did like her. A lot. She was a good one.

A thought occurred to me and I smiled at my resolution. "Sure! Why don't you guys build a fort in the living room and watch movies tonight." And stay out of the bed together. This way I could watch them.

Mickey pursed her lips. "I guess that could be fun." She looked at Tanya who was smiling and nodding.

"I haven't built a fort since I was ten! That sounds like so much fun!"

Mickey dropped her shoulders, looking the slightest bit annoyed and disappointed. "Alright, a fort. Super fun."

I grabbed all our extra blankets and pillows from the linen closet and set them on the sofa, letting the girls have at it. I grabbed my phone and read Edward's latest message.

_I wish it was Sunday already._

I bit my lip around my smile. He was so sweet. I checked the time.

_**Five hours until Sunday.**_

_Yeah, and then we have to wait another 12 hours until our date._

_**And we'll be sleeping for most of them.**_

I giggled and put my phone in my pocket, my eyes meeting Mickey's across the room. She quickly looked down and went about stuffing the blanket into the sofa cushion roughly.

I didn't know what her problem was. I was hell-bent on figuring it out though. We would be having another talk. Soon. I hated the tension in my home and even more, between us. We needed to clear the air, finally and for good.

* * *

I didn't get much sleep. I kept getting up through the night to "get water" and then use the downstairs bathroom. Every time I came down the stairs, Mickey and Tanya were wide awake under their mess of a fort, their heads peeking out the front of it. And every time, they both looked slightly guilty.

By the time morning came rolling around, I was exhausted and just this side of pissy. I poured a cup of coffee and leaned on the counter as Mickey came strolling into the kitchen, her hands deep in her pajama pants pockets.

She nodded at me as she grabbed the juice from the fridge. "Morning."

"Good morning. Did you have fun last night."

A blush tinged her cheeks and nose and she nodded. "Yep."

"Hmmm." I sipped at my coffee and watched her. I didn't know what I was looking for on her face but I kept searching nonetheless. Maybe a sign that she... no, I couldn't even think it. She was only fifteen.

"What did you guys do?" I found myself asking.

"Watched movies, mostly." She took a long gulp of her juice, eyeing me suspiciously.

"That's it?"

Her empty cup clattered to the counter and she shrugged. "Yeah, mom. That's it." She took off quickly from the kitchen.

I sighed and finished my coffee, thinking that maybe I made a mistake allowing Tanya to stay the night. A good mother would have said no. for the same reasons a mother wouldn't allow a boy to spend the night with her young daughter. But I, being the pathetic sob that I was, wanted my daughter to _like_ me again.

_God... I _am _pathetic._

* * *

I slipped on a light blue flannel top with the sleeves rolled to my elbows and a pair of black leggings. I decided to dress like me for our second date. I wanted Edward to like me for me. Or not like me. Whatever.

We planned to meet at Port Angeles Dog Park, an off-leash dog park with separate areas for large and small dogs. One of my favorite places to take Leah. I could let her run freely without worrying about her squishing some small unsuspecting Chihuahua. And Leah always had a blast playing with the other dogs there.

I couldn't think of a better second date. We could let our babies play and have fun while we get to talk and get to know each other better.

I grabbed my sneakers off the shoe rack and called to Mickey that I would be home in a few hours. She yelled back an unenthusiastic, "Okay."

I grabbed the leash and whistled for Leah. She came barreling down the stairs at full speed and skidded to stop in front of me, her big tongue lolling out of her smiling mouth.

"You ready girl?" I asked in my best hyper-happy voice. I was awarded a wagging tail and loud panting breaths.

I clipped the leash onto her purple harness and she dragged me to my car barely giving me the time to close the door behind me.

The drive there was eventful. Leah knew how to roll the window down and kept pressing it until it was down all the way. I lifted it to midway and she grumbled angrily at me and put it back down until I finally just locked it where it was.

And when she saw the dog park, she absolutely lost her mind. She couldn't get out of the car fast enough. She dragged me to the fence where all the bigger dogs were milling about and playing, their owners out there with them playing catch and frisbee. Once we were behind the gate safely, I let her loose. She took off like a bullet fired from a gun and found the biggest dog there to play with. As was her way.

I walked over to the benches and sat down, my eyes scanning for Edward. It didn't take me long to spot him, that red hair flaring under the hot sun across the field. He had a ball in hand and was fake throwing it for an overly excited giant russet-colored dog. I took him in, not yet alerting him to my presence. He wore a tight-fitting blue t-shirt and a pair of roughed up jeans held up by a black belt. Those same biker boots on his feet. At least he didn't wear the leather jacket again in this sweltering heat.

I sighed looking at him. He was just too gorgeous. Way too good looking for the likes of me. I didn't know what he saw in me, but he said I was a knock-out. I tried to find confidence in that but was coming up short. I never could muster enough confidence to be comfortable. It was a flaw. I couldn't help it.

As if hearing my sigh, Edward turned his head and looked at me. His eyes brightened as they took me in. He threw the ball far down the field and his giant companion took off after it. Edward jogged over to me and plopped down on the bench, his thigh touching mine.

"It's really good to see you," he greeted with a wide grin.

I bit my lip to hide my indulgent smile. "And you."

He smirked down at me and put his arm over the bench just behind my shoulder. "I've been excited all day knowing I was gonna get to see you," he admitted. His confidence was astounding sometimes. I would never have the guts to tell him that, fearing that it wouldn't be reciprocated.

I looked down and nodded. "Me too."

"So..." he breathed out a chuckle after a minute of silence. "How are things at home? I'm guessing better since you're here."

I tilted my head to the side and thought about that. Yes, things were better but still not right. But I didn't want to bother him with those details. "Things are... okay."

"Just okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "You can talk to me, ya know? I know we barely know each other, but I've been told I'm a great listener. I can be your untrained, unpaid therapist."

I snickered at that. I could really use a real one to be honest. I looked into his kind eyes and then up to his messy hair. I had never seen it outside of a hat, except in his profile picture. The unkempt stands were even more mesmerizing than his eyes. His hair wasn't just red, it had flecks of golden brown throughout.

"What would you call that color?" I asked distractedly looking at the top of his head.

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair self-consciously. "I have no idea. Some have described it as copper, others as bronze."

"It's beautiful," I said without thinking and slapped my hand over my mouth, a fire building in my cheeks.

He laughed and turned to angle his body toward me. "Don't try to flatter me off the subject at hand, Ms. Swan." He wagged his finger in mock authority.

"What subject was that?" I asked still distracted by his wayward locks.

"You don't have to tell me what's going on at home, but I am here to listen if you want to," he offered kindly. I just smiled and looked down, something I seemed to just naturally do in his presence. It was like my body knew he was superior and bowed to him.

"That's very kind, thank you."

He nodded. "So what can we talk about then?" He put on his cute thinking face, tongue and all, and hummed as he tried to come up with a topic. I didn't know what to talk about. I didn't have any experience of getting to know people. So I let him think of the first question to get the ball rolling.

"Oh!" he finally said, his eyes lighting up. "You said you have a second job? What do you do? The bakery seems like a lot of work all on its own."

I nodded. "It is a lot of work. But I'm closed on Fridays and on the weekends. So I get a little extra money working at the local library. It used to be a hobby, going there, stacking books, reading to the kids, now it's extra income. I work there on my days off, except for Sundays of course."

"You'd think you'd be open on Fridays and Saturdays. That's when you make the big bucks," he said with a raise of his brow.

That was true. I knew that but I had my reasons. "I preferred my weekends to be dedicated to my family, my daughter."

"But now they're dedicated to the library," he noted and I cringed inwardly. I hated the fact that I wasn't there like I used to be.

"Yeah... after my husband left, I needed the extra money. My head was underwater and I could barely breathe." I didn't know why I felt so comfortable divulging this information, but his non-judgmental eyes and the carefree tone of his voice made me feel at ease to discuss my life. Or lack-there-of.

He nodded. "But business seemed to be booming when I was there the other day."

"It has been lately. I've kind of thrown myself into my work."

"So you don't need the extra income now?"

"Uh, maybe. I don't want to fall under again. Those were scary times. And the extra income makes sure I have food on the table."

He hummed and looked off into the distance, his eyes dancing with questions, he turned back to me. "You put a lot on yourself." It wasn't a question.

"I do what needs to be done."

"But does it need to be done still?"

I tapped my fingers on my leg and looked away, suddenly uncomfortable with his line of questioning. I didn't have the answers. I was too afraid to stop and see if I could manage without that little bit of extra cushioning.

"You know, for a great listener, you sure ask a lot of questions."

"I don't mean to be all in your business, sorry," he said quickly. "I was just observing."

I let out a short laugh and looked back at him. He looked apologetic but I could still see the questions on his tongue. I was glad though that he had the decency to keep them to himself, seeing that I was becoming uncomfortable.

"So, why do _you_ work so much?" I asked diverting the attention off of me.

He chuckled and rubbed his chin with his hand. "Because business is _not_ booming."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I get my regulars and some bikers that pass through from hearing word of mouth, but I'm still in the red. I made a lot of bad choices and now I'm just paying my dues."

"Yeah, you mentioned some bad choices before. I'm here if you wanna talk about it," I threw his words back at him with a snarky smile.

He grinned back at me. "I'd have you here all day."

"It's my day off. I have the time."

Edward didn't go into detail about his life, but he did tell me that his decisions caused a giant mound of debt to pile up and he was working to slice it in half. I had a good amount of debt on my shoulders so I understood the need to get that pressure off.

"I'm a catch, obviously," he laughed, awkwardly scratching at his head.

I grinned at him. Looks-wise he was a lady killer. But I was starting to see that he was just a human being, like me, with issues. It made me feel lighter sitting next to him.

"So back to you, please," he grinned.

I huffed and sat back. "Thought I was in the clear." I was only halfway joking. I didn't like to talk about myself. It made me uneasy.

He threw his head back and laughed. "No, no. We gotta get our stories out there. It's second date protocol."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, is it now?"

"Yup. We have to get down to the dirty details if we wanna move forward." He looked at me with mock-seriousness.

I squirmed in my seat. "Like?"

"Like..." He thought for a moment and then smiled. "what's your favorite color?"

His question threw me off guard. All his other questions were personal and jarring. This one, being so unimportant and small, made me think too hard on it. I almost said mossy green like his eyes but thought better of it. Then I looked at his hair, that odd mixture of color. That too, I thought better of and went with the first color that popped into my head.

"Uh, blue?" It came as more of a question and he chucked. "What's yours?"

He looked down into my eyes and grinned. "I would have to say chocolate brown. The color has just been calling me lately."

I blushed and looked away. I caught a glimpse of Leah just as she jumped on the russet-colored giant, her teeth gnashing at him. He whimpered and ran with his tail between his legs.

"Leah!" I called clapping my hands together and stood up, jogging over to her with Edward close behind. "You don't do that," I admonished when I reached her. Her only response was a low growl in the direction of Edward's companion.

"I'm so sorry," I said turning to face them.

Edward was kneeling down next to a sad looking overgrown puppy. "It's okay. He has that effect on women," he chuckled humorlessly. "I was really hoping they would hit it off."

I grimaced and glared down at Leah. "She's a bit of a jerk, to be honest," I admitted. "The first thing she did when we got her was bite my ex-husband and then pee on his shoes that were still on his feet."

Edward chortled good-naturedly and stood up, patting his overgrown boy on his head. "Jake here likes to think himself a ladies man. He's neutered but still thinks he's the man trolling the park for babes."

I chuckled and looked at the poor pup who was staring at Leah with fear and desire in his eyes. Leah got behind my leg and stared back, a curt huff in his direction. Jake took a tentative step toward us and Leah lashed out, all teeth and drool and barking bites at the air.

"Okay," I said quickly grabbing her by her harness. "Maybe we should call it a day then?" I didn't really want to leave. But I couldn't risk Leah ripping Jake apart.

Edward nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Or maybe we could drop these jerks off at home and meet up for dinner tonight?"

I nodded emphatically and he grinned through a chuckle. "Okay. Tonight then?"

"Yes, absolutely."

Edward held Jake back as he took a step toward me, his eyes locked on Leah's. She didn't growl or try to attack him so that was a good sign. Edward extended one arm out and wrapped it around my shoulder.

"Can't wait," he whispered.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Loosening Up**

"How was the date?" Mickey asked as she came out of the kitchen with a sandwich in hand. I had just walked in and was taking my shoes off.

"Short," I muttered. "Leah decided to attack his dog."

Her eyes widened and she looked down at Leah who was at her feet, tail thumping as she waited for a crumb to drop. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," I huffed and sat on the sofa. "But we're going out tonight for dinner tonight."

Mickey tilted her head and pursed her lips. "Kay, I'm gonna go finish my homework." Her tone was clipped and her shoulders tight as she ran up the stairs with Leah close behind her.

I sighed. That would have to be addressed sooner rather than later, but it would have to wait just a bit longer. Clearer heads prevail and all that. I needed time to think about what I would say and what I would do if her behavior continued in the same manner. Something had to be done.

I watched a little bit of TV until around three o'clock when I trudged upstairs for a shower and to get ready. I spent extra time shaving my legs and other areas. Not that those areas would be touched or anything, but just in case. I honestly wouldn't mind. I shook my head. It had been too long. I was definitely not the type to sleep with a man I barely knew.

But the thought was tempting.

I curled my hair in my vanity mirror and applied black eyeliner to my top lids and a light red tint to my lips as well as a slight smattering of blush on my cheeks. I wanted to make an effort. I didn't know if we were going fancy or casual so I chose something that could go either way; a black half-sleeve shirt with a diamond cut at the collar and a flowy black skirt that went to my knees. I topped it all off with a pair of black flats.

I looked in the mirror and appraised my choices. It would have to do. I wasn't overly pleased with the outcome, but it was better than looking like a hoochie like I did on the first date. I was never letting my fifteen-year-old dress me again.

I pulled out my phone and logged onto meetme, pulling up Edward's name. He messaged me some time ago.

_Do you wanna go out somewhere to eat or do you wanna eat at my place?_

I bit my lip and went to sit on the edge of my bed, contemplating my choices. If we went out to eat somewhere, then I would feel even more awkward than I already did. And I was tired of the awkwardness between me and Edward. If I went to his place then things would maybe be more comfortable, more intimate, like that night in the field. But what if he got the wrong idea about me agreeing to go to his place? Did I want to take that chance?

I huffed out a breath and typed a message back. I was going to take a chance. Again. I messaged him to give me his address and hoped I wasn't making a mistake.

* * *

I pulled up outside of a nice looking apartment building. I parked in front of building four in the visitors parking, Edward lived all the way in building 12 but there were no open spots there so it would be a long walk. Luckily he lived downstairs.

I came up to his apartment number and knocked out an awkward rhythm on his door as I self-consciously patted at my hair. The door opened quickly to reveal the handsome man I had come to crave the presence of. He wore a white t-shirt with tears at the collar, faded blue jeans; he looked as he always did, a disheveled beautiful mess. Only now he was without his biker boots. It was odd to see him in just socks.

"You look amazing," he complimented me with a wide grin. "But I'm not surprised."

He moved to the side and gestured for me to come in. I did so awkwardly and tripped on the side of the door. Edward caught me around the waist and righted me with a gentle squeeze to my arms. I nodded shyly at him and he chuckled lowly.

"Make yourself at home. I'm just finishing dinner, " he said as he nodded to the couch and went into the small kitchen nestled just beyond the door.

I took a deep breath trying to quell my nerves. I went over to the couch where Jake lay with his body half on the couch, his big head lolling off of it. He looked at me and his tail began thumping against the armrest.

"Hey, there buddy," I said quietly as I took a step toward him and extended my hand, allowing him to get my scent. I sat down next to his head and he sat up, his big nose smelling at my face. He huffed and plopped back down on the couch, his head slamming down onto my thighs.

I laughed. "Guess that means you like me, huh?"

I talked to Jake for the next ten minutes as Edward fiddled around in the kitchen. It was so odd to have someone else do the cooking. I was always the one in the kitchen. I couldn't say I minded though. When Edward finally emerged from the kitchen, it was with a platter that held two plates with a mound of spaghetti on each and a big block of half grated cheese in the middle.

"Wow," I said smelling the air. "The smells wonderful. I didn't know you could cook."

He shrugged and set the platter on the coffee table. "I don't really. I looked up how to make this. I hope it's good," he said, his face bashful.

I smiled at him. He was making an effort. For me. As much I kept telling myself that there was no way a man like that could be interested in a woman like me, I knew he was. I could tell that he was very interested. And while that was surprising to me and a little weird for me, I accepted it gratefully.

"Jake," Edward said, clapping his hands. Jake got up immediately and went to stand next to Edward. "Room," he commanded and Jake took off down a narrow hallway.

"He likes to hover when people eat," he explained and came to sit next to me. I nodded. Leah did the same thing. She would never touch your food unless offered though.

We ate in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, the only sounds were our forks clanking against the plates and slurping of noodles. Until Edward dropped his plate back down on the table and angled his body toward me. I was halfway through my giant mountain of spaghetti. I dropped my fork and looked at him.

"This is awkward," he said and I smiled ruefully.

"It is, right?" I wondered if the awkwardness would ever fade between us.

He nodded and chuckled. "Wine, maybe?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Trying to get me all liquored up?" I joked.

He laughed and stood up, walking back into the kitchen. When he came back he produced a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. "I just want us to loosen up some," he said with a shrug.

I thought about it and contemplated whether it was a good idea or not. I definitely loosened up with some wine but maybe a bit too much. I nodded at him."Okay, but just one glass."

Famous last words.

We were halfway through our second bottle of wine when I was starting to feel good. Like, really good. And definitely loose. I looked at Edward with my head leaning on my hand. I reached out with my free hand and trailed a finger down his shoulder.

"Shouldn't we be talking," I said.

He chuckled and looked at my finger on his bicep then back to my face. "We have been."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, about the mundane and every day. Let's get to know one another. Tell me, tell me about your first pet, your favorite song." I giggled. I was feeling really good. The wine was definitely a good idea. I tended to really open up and let my inhibitions and awkwardness go with a little liquid courage.

Edward hummed and sat back. His cheeks were tinted red from the wine. "My parents weren't big on animals growing up and then when I went to live with my aunt and her husband, their house was too pristine for the likes of a beast," he laughed. "So Jake is my first."

I nodded and smiled, scooting slightly closer to him. "And your favorite song?"

He threw his head back on the couch and huffed. "I can't just pick one song, Bella. There are so many in the world."

"Mine is So Cold by Ben Cocks," I admitted. "I heard it about a year ago and it really resonated with me. With everything I was going through and it just... it hit, ya know?"

Edward tilted his head and pursed his lips. "That's a very sad song," he finally said.

I shrugged. "Yeah, but I felt it on a deep level at the time and I heard it when I needed to. So it holds a place in my heart. I heard it when I was grieving after my ex left me."

"Can I ask you about that? I know it's none of my business but what happened with your ex-husband?"

I sighed and looked away from him. I could feel the phantom tears and aches. "He left me. Us. He ditched me and my daughter for someone who is only five years older than his kid." I grimaced in disgust. "He came home one day and told me he fell in love with someone else. He told me all about her while I sat there crying. And then... he left. And he never reached back out to us. And I think it is really hurting Mickey. I didn't realize until just recently how much."

Edward took my hand in his and found my eyes as I blinked through the tears that I wouldn't allow to fall. Not for him. Ever again. "That's shitty," he said and I laughed.

That was the understatement of the century. I fanned my face with my fingers and sat back on the couch. "Yeah, it's super shitty." I swallowed over the lump in my throat. "I'm over it, mostly. It just sucks for Mickey. And I think she might be having some issues. She's been acting out this past year and I just chalked it up to teenage hormones."

"Acting up how?" Edward leaned back on the couch and looked at me, genuine interest and concern coloring his features.

"Like, staying out late, her swearing has gotten worse, and now she's really distant and I don't think she feels comfortable talking to me. She did tell me that after our first date that she was afraid I was going to leave her too."

Edward cringed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept you so late."

"No!" I said quickly. "I had the best night with you, Edward. I wouldn't trade it, honestly. I just wish Mickey would open up and talk to me about what's going on with her. Me going on a date shouldn't have had the effect it did. There's something deeper there."

Edward nodded and squeezed my hand. "When my parents died... I turned into an absolute monster. My aunt and uncle got me into counseling. I think it helped some. But what really helped was realizing that my parents didn't leave because they wanted to, they didn't have a choice. Mickey knows her dad had a choice. I can't imagine what she must be going through and what could possibly help her."

I shook my head and thought about all the signs of my daughter slowly falling apart in front of my eyes that I had ignored or just chalked up to being teenage angst and rebellion. "I should have talked to her about it when it happened. I admit that I just shut down and threw myself into my work. She seemed fine but I should have known better."

I looked into Edward's dark eyes. "How did you get through it?"

He sighed. "I don't know that I have to be honest. Talking does help, but there will always be that pain of abandonment and loneliness."

I choked back a sob at the thought of my baby feeling any of those things. Especially with me around. I'm supposed to be there, be her support. And I wasn't.

Edward lightly tilted my chin up to look into my eyes. "You can't blame yourself," he said correctly guessing the inner workings of my mind.

I laughed through the pain and shook my head. "Next subject," I begged.

He let go of my face and smiled warmly down at me. "My favorite song is Unsteady by X Ambassadors," he smiled sadly.

We spent the rest of the night sitting close together on the couch and discussing our favorites. Our favorite foods, drinks, music. We talked about our first crushes and our best memories. We talked about how many licks it took to get to the center of a tootsie pop. We talked about everything. The awkwardness of our meetings finally fading to the back as we allowed ourselves to get to know one another and get comfortable.

With the wine out of my system and the angst of my crush on the man before me simmering to a cool hard liking of him, I felt like a new person with him. I was comfortable.

Edward checked his phone and sighed. "It's getting late," he told me. "You better get home to Mickey."

I nodded and went to retrieve my shoes that had come off at some point. "Yeah, I don't want her to worry."

"Remember, Bella," he said as he came to stand behind me, his fingers playing at my waist. "Just talk to her. Even if she says she doesn't want to talk, you talk. It's important to not keep it all bottled inside."

I smiled up at him and turned around. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a tight hug. "I will try. Thank you for talking to me about what she might be going through. I needed to know."

He grasped me firmly around the waist and pulled me close. "I had an amazing time with you."

I blushed but didn't look down. I stared into his mossy green eyes and nodded. "I had an amazing time with you. I can't wait for the next time."

He grinned. "Well, I have an idea for the next time."

"Oh, yeah?" I smiled. "What's your plan?"

He bit on his plump bottom lip. "I want you to meet my friends."

My eyes widened a bit. "Really?"

He nodded, an unsure smile on his lips. "If you want to meet them, that is."

Did I want to meet them? Was I ready for that? Were we ready for that? I wasn't so sure about that.

"Maybe," I drew out and he nodded.

"Just let me know what you're thinking this week. If you're not ready to meet them, then we'll do something else."

I let go of Edward and moved toward the door, grabbing my keys off the table by the door. "I will let you know."

From what little Edward had told me about his friends, they are like family to him. I didn't know if I was ready to meet them. It would be like introducing him to Mickey and we so weren't there yet.

"Drive safe, Bella," he said as I walked through the door.

"Have a good night, Edward."

I drove home with thoughts of Edward mixed with thoughts of Mickey. And what I was going to do about both. Where things were going with both of them. I had a lot to think about.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Life has picked back up and I won't be able to post as many updates so close together. Please let me know what you guys are thinking about the story so far. It's so quiet here. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Maybe**

It was dark in the house when I got home, all the lights off. The only source of light coming from the living room. The TV was on and muted covering the walls in splashes of blue and white. I set my purse on the table and peeked into the living room. Mickey was sprawled out on the sofa, her eyes looked heavy as they stared at the screen in front of her. She had her hands tucked under her chin and cheek and she looked every bit the angel I had always bragged her to be.

"Mick?" I took a step into the living room until I was hovering over her. Still, she didn't take her eyes off the screen. "What are you doing?"

A slight shrug of her shoulders was the only response I got. I huffed out an annoyed breath and moved to sit down next to her. I lifted her feet off the cushion and laid them on my lap. Finally she looked at me, her eyes guarded.

"What's going on?" I pat her plaid pajama clad legs and pulled her a bit closer to me. Maybe now was the time. Clearer heads prevail... well, I felt pretty dang clear. I needed to fix things with my daughter, make things right again. And I needed to know what was making her act so... non-Mickey-like.

"Talk to me," I whispered when she didn't answer.

She took in a shaky sigh and shook her head with a grim smile. "I was just worried."

I nodded. She seemed to worry a lot lately. Ever since my first date with Edward. That was concerning. It wasn't my fifteen year old's job to worry about her mother. And that seemed to be her thing now. I patted her leg and tried to catch her eyes with my own.

"You don't have to worry about me, Mick. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. Understand?"

She sniffed and nodded, her eyes boring into mine. "But you make bad decisions," she whispered.

My eyes widened a bit at that and I sat up straight. "The decisions I make are my business. And none of them have lead me wrong yet. And you need to worry more about your own decisions."

I was getting angry. I didn't like that. I didn't like to have angry conversations, especially not with my kid. They got you nowhere but even more angry. I took a deep breath and looked away from her piercing gaze. I had to collect myself and remove myself from the moments leading up to how I felt toward Mickey. I needed to be in the here and now and figure out a way to salvage my relationship with my best friend, my baby.

I let out a long breath and reconnected my eyes with hers. I tried not to get flustered at the challenge in them. It was like she wanted to fight with me.

"Why are you acting this way? What is going on with you? Please, just talk to me," I was dang near pleading and I tried to level my voice. "I am you mother. You can talk to me about anything."

Mickey looked away, her blue eyes glistening in the muted light. Her head tilted to the side and she opened her mouth only to close it again and clear her throat. She looked back at me and shook her head.

I sighed. "Please, Mick. Just tell me what's going on. This can't just be about that night I went out with Edward. There's more to this and I want you to tell me what's happening that's making you so..." I struggled for words. So angry? So confrontational? So withdrawn? She had been all those things and more but mostly she had been... gone. Not there. Not the vibrant fun-loving, jokester that I raised for fifteen years. I knew my daughter. At least I thought I did. This kid in front of me... a stranger.

"I'm just..." she started and I perked up, hopeful. She shook her head again and looked away. "I'm just worried about you, is all."

I pursed my lips at her blatant lie. Sure, she may have been worried about me but there was so much more to it than that.

"And?" I encouraged with a squeeze to her leg.

"And nothing." Her voice wavered over the last word. "Why can't you just leave it alone?"

"Because I'm your mother and you're not acting like yourself anymore. There's something going on."

Mickey broke free of my grasp and stood up so quickly it made me dizzy. I looked up at her. She was breathing heavily and glaring down at me. "Why do you care all of a sudden? Aren't you too busy with work to even notice me? Too busy with your two jobs and now your boyfriend?"

"Don't talk to me like that," I shouted and stood up from the sofa to glare right back at her. Screw clearer heads. I was tired of my own kid talking to me like I'm an idiot.

Her eyes widened and she took a step back from me, but her lips set in a hard line and she stayed put. "You wanted to talk, let's talk," she challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're never home, mom. Any free time you get, you're with your new boyfriend. You don't even care about me!"

"That's not even a little bit true, Mckayla! You mean everything to me."

"Then why are you never home anymore?"

"I work all the time to keep us fed, clothed and a roof over our heads!" I flailed my hands around and she took another step back, her face beaming red.

"Liar!" she seethed through her teeth. "You could quit the library and you know it. I heard you talking to Angela about how great business has been. I've been there when the place was packed and there was a line out the door. You just want an excuse to get away from me. Just like dad!"

"Don't you ever compare me to him," I whispered. Her words hitting me deep down where it hurts. Edward had said something similar about why I really needed the extra job. "I don't want us falling under again."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Bullshit," she spat.

"Watch. Your. Mouth," I grit the words out through my teeth.

"You can't stand to be around me," she accused. "You're gonna leave me too it's just a matter of time. You'll probably send me packing on my eighteenth birthday. Finally free of your burden."

I took a step closer to her. "How could you think that? Everything I do is for you. For us to have a good life. So we won't struggle. So you can have what you need and what you want. What more can I do?"

"Be here!" Tears rolled down her cheeks and she angrily wiped them away with the sleeve of her shirt. "Be here with me, mom. You don't need to work so much. I don't care that you have a boyfriend, I really don't, but you're giving him all your free time. I get none of it anymore. The little time we had together is gone. You took it away and gave it to someone else!" Her voice broke on the last word and she took another big step back toward the stairs and I could tell she was about to run.

I reached out and set my hand on her harm, my own tears falling freely down my cheeks. "I didn't know you felt that way."

She sniffled and barely tried to pull away from me. "That's how it started with dad. He started to work a lot more, then he gave his time that was meant for us to someone else and then he left. He just left us, mom. And now you're doing the same thing."

I sighed and grabbed onto her arm, pulling her to me. She gave a half-hearted fight but fell into my arms, her wet face in my neck. I hugged her to me. I didn't know what to say or do. It made sense, what she was saying, but it just wasn't true. That was not what was happening. But I didn't know how to reassure her. She had it in her head that I was pulling away from her and I didn't know how to fix it.

"Just don't leave,"she cried into my neck as if hearing my inner battle and I shushed her, rubbing circles on her back.

"I'm not going anywhere. I would never leave you. I'm not pulling away from you. I am _not _your father."

She cried harder and wrapped her arms around my back. "He's never coming back."

I felt the tears fall from my eyes, hot on my cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere," I whispered into her hair. What else could I say? Probably a lot. But words failed me as I held my grieving daughter in my arms.

Would it ever end?

* * *

"You look tired," Angela said as she walked into the back room with baking supplies in her hands. I just nodded and grunted. "Do you need help with the orders today? There's more than usual."

I looked at the long list of orders in front of me and felt my stomach drop. There was quite a bit. Business was freaking booming. I shook my head and sighed, setting my elbows on the counter in front of me and letting my head drop into my flour and batter covered hands.

I felt Angela come up behind me and set her hand on my back. "You need a break, girl."

I nodded and turned to look at her. "Angela, how well do you think Baby Batter is doing?"

"Oh, I'd say we're the most popular bakery in Port Angeles," she laughed.

I grimaced through a tired smile and stood back up. "I'd say so..." I sighed and went back to work. It was true. Our Yelp reviews were 98% good and we were leading on the boards of places to eat in PA. That should make me happy but it just made me feel sick.

At noon, I took a short break, leaving Angela to the baking. I sat outside in the back and curled up against the brick with my phone in my hands. I logged onto meetme and was bombarded with messages. I scrolled through until I reached Edward's name. It was getting harder to find in the mess. I really needed to get his phone number.

I had a short message from him from this morning.

_Good morning, Bella. I had a great time last night._

I smiled at it but something inside of me felt guilty. Like I wasn't allowed to be happy when my daughter was in pain. I pushed through that because there was nothing I could do to stop her pain. I was getting the brunt of something I didn't cause. But maybe she was right. I wasn't helping with it either.

_**I did too. A little too much wine though lol**_

Edward had read the message almost as soon as I sent it and I watched the three dots as he typed something back.

_Have you given any thought to my request for another date? My friends would love to meet you. No pressure._

I rolled my eyes and smiled. Yeah, no pressure at all. I hadn't really given it much thought. With everything going on, I had honestly forgotten.

_**I don't know about that right now. You don't think it's too soon?**_

I bit my lip and waited as the dots started up. You'd think his phone was glued to his hand waiting on a response from me.

_I personally don't think it is too soon. I'm not saying I wanna get hitched or anything lol but my friends are really important to me and you getting along with them is important to me as well._

_**So this is like a test?**_

_No! Not at all. I think I've made it pretty obvious that I like you quite a bit and I don't like to play around. If I feel a connection I want to pursue it and see where it goes. And I definitely feel a connection._

I could feel my face blushing red at his words. He was so unafraid to say how he felt. I wasn't sure if I felt the same or not. I had a lot of other factors to consider in my life. It was hard to pick a train of thought and go with it. But if this is what he needed to see if we were a good match, then maybe I should just do it. But after the talk I had with Mickey it would have to be next Sunday. I had to give her some time with me and maybe take her out and let her know I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere. That message wouldn't be clear if I spent every moment of free time with Edward.

_**If I did decide to go and spend time with you and your friends, it would have to be next weekend. I think my daughter needs some mom time.**_

_Of course. Just let me know._

_**I will. On another note, can I have your number. This meetme thing is tiresome.**_

_Lol I was just about to ask you the same thing. I was actually thinking about deleting this silly app._

My eyes grew wide. If he was thinking about deleting it then that meant he wasn't actively looking anymore. Did that mean... I mean he said he didn't play games... maybe I should delete the app too then?

Edward sent me his number and I added it to my contacts and sent him a short message with my name attached to it and then put my phone in my apron pocket and went back inside. I had a lot of baking to do today. And while I trusted Angela, it was my work. I needed to do it.

* * *

"Hey, Mickey," I greeted tiredly as I walked into the house. She was sitting on the sofa with a bag of chips and her phone in her hands. She nodded a hello and went back to typing away. After our talk things were even better. And not. It was really like a game of cat and mouse. I didn't even know which role I was playing though.

I sat down next to her. "So, I was thinking," I started excitedly and she looked up. "maybe we could go do something this weekend? Maybe go to the mall or the movies, or both?"

Her eyes widened minutely and she half smiled. "Really? You don't have a date this weekend?"

"Nope. Just me and you and mall court food if you want."

"Yeah," she nodded enthusiastically. "We haven't done that in a while."

I grimaced. It had been a bit. "Great! This Sunday then. Me and you."

Mickey smiled and looked down at her phone. "Awesome."

I stood up and smiled the whole way to my room. Maybe I was making some headway here. Just maybe things could actually work out for once. I was about to get in the shower when my phone buzzed with a message. I grabbed it expecting Edward as he'd been messaging me all day.

My smile dropped when I read the familiar number across the screen. My blood literally boiling in my veins and my stomach in knots, I read.

_We need to talk._

* * *

**So sorry for the long wait. School is crazy right now and just a lot of stress on me at the moment. I hope you all liked the chapter and there will hopefully be more very soon. Also, thank you to Gabby1017 for recommending this fic on her own. I appreciate it girl!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Heart Shapes**

Mickey scrunched her nose up and held a hand to her tiny tummy that bulged just slightly from all the food she consumed. I laughed and patted her on the arm from across the table as she tried to breathe through another bite of her chicken.

"Mick, you don't have to fill up on the whole buffet."

"We never go out to the buffet anymore." A wince and a grimace. "I just need a minute." She dropped her chicken back down on the plate and sat back in her seat with a heavy sigh. "So good."

I chuckled and pushed my food around the plate, too full myself to eat another bite. "So, tell me about this competition," I urged.

She had been going on and on and about how some boys at school challenged her "epic boarding skills" and she was gonna have a showdown tomorrow.

"Oh, yeah, so they were like saying that because I'm a girl I am somehow inferior and my skills could never match up to theirs," she snorted. "As if. I'm beast and everyone knows it. Tommy is gonna eat his words tomorrow and maybe some pavement."

"Well as long as it stays a friendly thing between you guys," I warned. The last thing I needed was my daughter getting into a fight over skateboarding prowess.

Mickey rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, mom."

Her phone beeped for the fifteenth time since we got to the buffet and she looked down at it, her eyes scanning over the screen and a dusting of a blush coming over her cheeks and nose. She cleared her throat and put the phone back in her jeans.

"Tanya again?"

More blushing. "Uh, yeah. She's, uh, bored." She sniffed the air disinterestedly and tucked a tendril of hair behind her pink-tipped ears.

"You two spend an awful lot of time together," I noted.

"Is that a problem?" Her eyes met mine in challenge and I sighed.

"Of course not. I really like Tanya."

Mickey smiled wide, all of her perfect teeth showing and nodded. "She's awesome."

"She is..."

There was a lull in the conversation and I wished I knew how to broach the subject with her. I didn't want to push her but I needed her know that there was nothing about her that she needed to hide from me.

"You know," I started slowly. "you can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?"

Mickey squirmed minutely in her seat. "Yeah, I guess? Why?"

"I'm just making sure you know that if there's anything you want to talk about; school, friends, your feelings, life in general, I am always here for you. There is nothing you can say or do that would change that. Okay?"

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, mom. Thanks."

There was a buzzing in my purse and I quickly shoved my hand in to silence it. My body was on high alert. Anxiety. Trepidation. Freaking angst riddled. Ridiculous. I was officially terrified of my phone. I had barely touched it since I got that vague text. I texted Edward here and there, but other than that, if my phone went off, I tried to just ignore it. It was always Edward when I ended up looking later on. But I was avoiding. Avoiding... whatever was going to happen next.

"You okay," Mickey asked, going in for another bite of food.

"I'm good. Do you wanna get out of here and head to the mall now?"

Anything to get my mind off of that particular subject.

"Yep! Just let me use the bathroom real quick."

I nodded and held my hand up for the waiter to bring the bill over. I paid while Mickey used the bathroom and waited by the door for her, my phone burning a hole in my purse and my mind.

Suck it up, buttercup.

I bit my lip and fished my phone from my purse, hoping and praying not to see that number displayed across my screen. Ever again. A sigh of relief left me and I smiled when I saw Edward's name and a short text.

_Hey, gorgeous. Don't want to bother you on your day out with Mickey. Just wanted to let you know that I was thinking about you. Anyway, have a wonderful day._

I smiled wide and tapped out a quick text back. Edward had taken to texting me a lot. We didn't go in-depth about anything, especially not about me meeting his friends. He was giving me my time to think about it. And boy did I have a lot to think about.

Was I ready for something so... serious? With someone, I barely knew. Sure, there is definitely a connection there and he's kind and sweet and understanding... dang near perfection, to be honest. Well, I mean, he has faults, but who doesn't? But did I really want to bring him into all my drama? Or the drama that was a definite possibility now?

"Ready to roll," Mickey said, appearing next to me and pulling me from my thoughts.

Fifteen minutes later and an overly energetic rendition of _Spice Girls, I Wanna_, from Mickey later, we finally pulled into the mall parking lot outside of a sporting goods outlet that Mickey wanted to check out. I told her I would buy her a new skateboard and she was wasting no time.

"Oh, look at this one, mom!" Mickey dragged me to the back of the store to a wall full of skateboards, her eyes set on a black and electric green one with a flaming orange skull on the bottom. "This is the one," she said, her eyes and face awestruck.

Scrunching up my nose, I inspected the god-awful thing. "That one? Really?"

My eyes scanned the rows of boards and landed on a cute pink one. "How about this one, Mick?"

Mickey tore her eyes away from the board in front of her and grimaced when she saw what I was pointing to. "Mother," she began slowly and I scowled. I hated it when she called me that. "Do I look like I would be caught dead with that thing?" she asked with a raised brow and gesturing to her outfit.

Beat up chucks, jeans that had more holes than material and a white t-shirt. I tilted my head to the side and looked between her and the pink board. "No, I guess not..."

I really liked the pink one, though.

I ended up buying her the green monstrosity and we made our way to more stores, the whole time reprimanding Mickey for trying to ride her board in the mall. "It's rude, Mick. Now stop it," I said finally getting fed up.

"Sorry. I keep forgetting." She flipped the board into her hands and tucked it under her arm.

We stopped by a jewelry outlet and Mickey stopped in her tracks. She walked up to the clear glass and peered inside.

"I didn't peg you as a fan of earrings," I said coming up behind her. She never wore any. I had her ears pierced when she was a toddler and even back then she couldn't stand them.

She blushed slightly and turned to me. "Uh, Tanya's birthday is coming up. I thought I could maybe, you know, get her something. I've been saving up my allowance for a while."

I smiled and looked down at a pair of heart-shaped earrings that she had been eyeing and sucked in some air between my teeth. "Two hundred is a bit pricey, don't ya think?"

Mickey's shoulders dropped and she nodded. "I only have one twenty saved."

I hummed and looked at them again, then back at Mickey. She looked so defeated. She obviously wanted to get Tanya something really nice. And she saved up so much. She had to have been saving every penny.

A thought occurred to me. It may be a terrible idea but what the heck. "How about I make up the difference now and you can work it off?"

Mickey's eyes went wide and a timid smile formed on her face. "Work it off how?"

"At the bakery. We could use extra hands up front."

"Shit, really?!"

"Language!"

"Shit, sorry. I mean sorry, mom. Yeah. Totally! I can do that."

I fought the smile I could feel coming and turned to the lady behind the counter who watched with an amused smile. "She'll take these ones," I said pointing to the beautiful glittering heart-shaped earrings.

* * *

"I had a good day," Mickey expressed once we finally got home and fell onto the sofa, our bags scattered around our feet.

A satisfied smile found its way to my lips and I turned to look at my beautiful daughter. "Me too, baby. We'll do it again really soon."

A gleeful smile appeared on her angelic features. "Can't wait. Wanna watch some mindless TV?"

Fifteen minutes into _Naked and Afraid_, and Mickey was out like a light next to me, her head on my shoulder. I had forgotten how tiring the mall could be. That paired with the immense amount of food intake, and I could feel a coma coming on myself.

I was just drifting when I felt my phone buzz once again. I grabbed my purse from next to me and pulled out my phone, my tired mind not registering my actions.

_Text me back or I'm showing up._

I sat up quickly and Mickey jumped up next to me. "What happened?" she asked, startled.

"Nothing," I said quickly, hugging my phone to my chest. "I'm just gonna... um... go take a shower," I lied and ran up the stairs to my room, closing the door behind me. I sat on the edge of my bed and with trembling fingers, typed out a careful reply.

_**You're not welcome here.**_

The next buzz of my phone sent a shot through my chest.

_It's my home, Bella. I'm on the lease. But I'm not trying to fight with you. I need to talk to you. I know I left things in a bad way but I need to see you._

Left things in a bad way? More like turned mine and Mickey's life completely upside down. And he didn't even care. I tapped my fingertips on the screen as I tried to come up with a reply. Something that would put him off. For just a while longer.

_**I'm very busy as of late. What is it you need to talk about? Can't it be done over text?**_

_It really can't._

Screw my life. Okay... what can I do? If I don't agree, he'll show up here with no regard for Mickey's feelings and we were just starting to make some progress. But I can't see him. I just can't. Not ready. Not at all.

_**I need time.**_

I bit my lip and waited for his reply. After several minutes, and still no reply, my anxiety went through the roof. I jumped up from the bed and ran to my window, scanning the darkened street. Every car that sailed by made my body tighten and my chest convulse. Finally, my phone buzzed.

_Okay. I owe you that much. Get in touch with me before next week is over._

I sighed relief washing through me.

Bullet. Dodged. For now.

I laid my shaking body down on the bed and pulled up Edward's contact. I felt the need to talk to him. My fingers shook too much to type out a text so I called him.

"Hello, beautiful," he answered in his velvet-smooth voice and my body instantly calmed.

"Hey," I said no more than a breath of air. "How has your day been?"

"It's been good. Hung out with my friends Emmett and Rosalie and worked on bikes mostly. How did the mother-daughter outing go?"

"It was wonderful," I smiled. "We didn't get into one confrontation," I laughed. "So we're making progress."

"That's great!" he said enthusiastically. And I could tell he really meant it. He actually cared about how my relationship with Mickey was fairing. That meant more to me than anything.

"Yeah, I forgot how much money I spent on these days."

He laughed. "As long as you didn't break the bank."

"Not quite, but it was a close call when she saw a pair of jeans that cost more than my car payment. Luckily I distracted her with ice cream."

He chuckled and the sound sent a pleasurable tingle throughout my body.

"So... I don't want to push or anything, and I'm not pushing, just curious, have you given any more thought to this Sunday? Meeting my friends?"

My heart dropped. "I really don't know about that, Edward..."

"Hey, it's no rush," he quickly amended. "I'm sorry. They just really want to meet you. It's not often I talk about a woman so much to them." He gave a nervous laugh and I could practically hear him running his hands through that untamed hair of his.

"I promise I will give it some more thought. Just don't get your hopes up. Meeting new people is a bit hard for me." It wasn't a lie. A cop-out, yes. But not a lie. I did loathe meeting new people. But it was what meeting these people implied that scared me the most.

"I get it," he murmured. "Do you still want to see me on Sunday, friends or no friends?"

I thought back to the texts between me and... that piece of crap, and stalled for a minute. I had a lot to deal with now. But I did want to see him. "I have a few things going on right now that I need to get settled, but I will let you know. I can't wait to see you again though," I added. Because I really couldn't wait.

"Me too," he breathed and I could hear the smile in his voice.

We talked for a few more minutes and then said our goodnights.

I had a whole lot to think about.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait. I currently have so many stories in my head right now and I'm trying to get them all out so I can focus. I will not be abandoning this story, it just may take some time. more Edward coming soon. no worries! Please leave a review. they make me incredibly happy!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Misunderstanding **

With school letting out for the summer, Mickey spent every bit of time with Tanya that she could, while that be in my home, at Tanya's, the skate park or the mall, the movies. They were constantly together. And Mickey was getting a little more brazen with her affections toward the gangly strawberry blonde in front of me.

Yesterday I came in from work to find them cuddled on the couch watching a movie and Mickey didn't jump up from her spot when she spotted me. Tanya stayed with her head in the crook of Mickey's neck. Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to trust me with her most intimate secret.

I smiled at the memory as I kneaded dough in the back of my bakery as I listened to my loud daughter up front chatting with the college girls that worked for me. She was telling them about how she wiped the floor with Tommy at their competition. The girls just ate her up and enjoyed having her around. And she was a big help to the bakery, as well.

"Bella," Angela called, her figure appearing behind me.

I turned to her. "What's up, Ange? Mickey being good out there?"

Angela smiled indulgently. She loved my Mickey. "Oh, she's a spitfire that one. But she's being very good. I actually came back here to tell you that there was a package left for you."

My brows furrowed. "A package?"

"Yeah," she drew out slowly. "Do you want it?"

"Umm, sure?"

I pried my hands from the sticky dough and wiped them on my apron as Angela went to retrieve the package. When she came back with a long silver box wrapped with a neat golden bow, my eyes widened as I reached for it.

"Everything okay?" Angela asked taking in my horrified expression.

I just nodded and looked down at the package in my hands. So familiar to the ones I had received once a year. Every year. On the same day. "Can you just, um, give me a minute?" I requested.

She nodded and left with a curious glance back. I ran to my purse and grabbed my phone, checking the date.

June 12th.

Our anniversary.

I took a deep breath in through my nose and slid the top of the box open, already knowing what I would find. A single long-stemmed red rose.

* * *

"Who was it from?" Mickey asked as we drove home at six 'clock.

Startled, I looked over at her like a deer in headlights. "Huh?"

She looked at me like I was dense. "The package you got earlier?" she said like it was obvious.

I took a deep breath in and held it, my eyes trained on the road ahead of me. I was hoping she didn't know about it but her being up front, of course, she did. I was also hoping against hope that she didn't recognize it. She was there every time I got the same present every year. I hoped her self-absorbed teenage self hadn't noticed and it did seem she didn't remember.

"Oh, there was no name on it," I said distractedly.

"What was it," she pressed on.

I sighed as I pulled into our driveway. I didn't want to lie to her. But I wasn't ready to tell her that her dad was back in town. Not until I knew for sure what he wanted. I didn't want to get her hopes up only for him to squash them down and ruin my baby's trust even more.

"It was a rose."

"Then it was probably from Edward, mom," she deadpanned.

I nodded and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Perhaps."

She gave me a speculative look before shrugging and hopping out of the car and running up to the door, unlocking it with her key. I followed her in slowly. Once inside I went to the kitchen to start making a simple dinner. Mac and cheese bake and cornbread.

I set my phone on the counter as I worked on dinner, listening to Mickey watch TV in the other room. My phone buzzed as I set the bake into the oven. My heart sputtered with anxiety as I walked over to it. I was glad to see Edward's name across the screen.

_Two more days, _was all it said and I smiled despite myself. I had told him that while I wasn't quite ready to meet his friends just yet, I did want to spend time with him.

_**Yep. I'm excited to see you.**_

_You have no idea._

I blushed and bit my lip, leaning my back against the island and typing out a message.

_**I think we should go out to eat this time.**_

_My food not good enough, huh? Hey, I tried._

_**Your food was more than substantial lol. But I was thinking we could go out to eat, then go for a walk around downtown. Sound like a plan?**_

_It's a date._

Smiling, I put my phone back on the counter as I started the cornbread mix. My phone buzzed once again and I grinned, grabbing it up and reading the text across the screen. My brows furrowing in confusion.

_Are you ever going to get back to me about meeting? Time's running out._

I read the number above the text and sighed, leaning against the counter for support. What the heck was I supposed to do? Face my problems head-on? Ignore them until they hopefully go away? Be an adult or wait it out like a child?

Darn it.

I had to do this. He wasn't really giving me a choice in the matter anyhow.

_**When and where?**_

_Tomorrow. 1:30 at Pete's?_

I groaned. Of course, he wanted to meet at a bar. Probably the same bar he met his little mistress. I typed out an affirmative reply and dropped my phone back on the counter unceremoniously and went back to mixing the cornbread, my phone becoming a nuisance, I ignored it for the next few hours.

.

My foot shook on the barstool, shaking the whole chair and making me vibrate. I had to leave work for this little endeavor and I was not happy about it. I was not happy about having to lie to my daughter about where I was going. But I did it anyway.

I hoped I was doing the right thing by keeping this from her.

I took a sip of my ice water and waited. And waited. And by two-thirty, I was ready to leave. I had waited for an hour. He always did this. Always. Of course, he hadn't changed in that aspect. I sighed and stood from my seat, heading for the door when it came crashing open.

"Going somewhere?" that familiar voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

I locked eyes with cool blue, penetrating and decisive. "You're late," I managed to choke out.

"Something came up," he said coolly.

I nodded and gestured roughly for him to follow me to a booth. I plopped down on the cushioned seat and he took his place across from me. He looked as he always had, only tanner, teeth whiter as he smiled at me, his hair blonder. Guess he had been spending some time in the sun.

He looked dignified as always in a pressed button-down and gray slacks, slick black shoes. It made me want to throw up all over him.

"Bella," he smiled.

"Riley," I spat back.

He looked down for a moment, then looked back up through his long lashes. Those same lashes that he had given to his daughter. "It's really good to see you."

"Is it now?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes. You have no idea how much I've missed-"

"Don't." I held my hands up in front of me. "Don't you dare even think it. How dare you, Riley. How fucking dare you?"

I tried to reign myself back in. I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me.

He looked down again and nodded to himself. "I know. I know. I was terrible. I... Bella, I was going through some things that needed to be sorted, okay? I know that's no excuse for my behavior."

"You're right," I spat across the table, falling back in my seat and locking my arms over my chest as I felt the tears in it begin to reopen. "You're damn right, Riley." I leaned forward, getting angry that he could still make me feel so... so damn small. "You left us. You left your child. How could you do that to her? Do you have any idea what you did to her when you left?"

His face paled at the mention of Mickey and he had the decency to look ashamed. It just pissed me off even more.

"I can never make up for that, but, Bella, I am here to try. I want to make it up to both of you."

With that admission I fell back in my seat, my eyes wide and imploring. He couldn't be serious. "I don't want you in my life," I stated. And I meant it. I had no need for him.

"I understand that, Bella. But Mckayla may feel differently than you. And if she still wants me then I am going to be here."

I scoffed outwardly but my insides were like I was on a roller-coaster. I felt dizzy and sick. Because I knew what Mickey would want. She would want the choice. Which meant I would have to tell her. Tell her that her estranged father came back for a second chance.

I folded my hands on the table and Riley immediately reached over and took hold of them with his one large hand. "I fucked up," he whispered and I nodded. Too tired and in shock to pull my hands away.

I heard a strangled sound next to me and looked up startled to see...

"E-Edward?" I stuttered out pulling my hands free from Riley's grip and standing up quickly.

Edward stood next to me, his hands at his sides balled into fists as his mossy green eyes stared daggers between Riley and myself.

"Edward," I said again and he focused on me.

"I get it," he smiled sardonically. "I fucking get it," he spat, now looking angrier than I had seen anyone.

"No, you don't," I said slowly, taking a step toward him. I reached for his fisted hand and he jerked back. Without another word, he turned quickly and left the bar, the big burly man behind the bar who had served me my water called after him.

All I heard Edward say was, "Fuck off, Emmett," before he slammed the door open, bathing the dim-lit bar in sunshine. And he was gone.

My feet worked slower than my mind as I ran after him, almost tripping over a chair on my way out, ignoring Riley's calls me for me. I heard the revving of his bike and sped my feet up. He cast a look over to me, his foot stalling.

"Go back in with your boyfriend, Bella. I don't want to talk to you."

"You don't understand," I begged. "That's not at all what it looked like," I said out of breath as I jogged up to his bike and stuck my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't reach for him again. I couldn't handle another rejection.

"No, I do get it. You keep me at an arms-length, you don't want to get too close. Why? Because you're keeping your options open," he accused and I took a step back like he had physically slapped me.

"That's not it," I whispered.

"Whatever, Bella," he scoffed looking over my shoulder and shaking his head he revved his bike once more before speeding away.

I looked behind me to see Riley standing there. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a speculative look on his face.

"New boyfriend?" he asked.

I glared at him and pulled my keys from my pocket, making my way over to my car and ignoring him completely as he called after me.

* * *

**Who wants Edward's POV?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: I'm Ready**

**EDWARD**

"Useless," I muttered into the wrench in my hands as I worked on the run-down bike in front of me. I sat on the haunches of my feet and teetered back and forth as I glared at the bike.

"Fucking useless piece of junk." I threw the wrench down on the hard floor, cringing as the sound echoed around me.

"Talking to yourself again, boss?" Garrett came up behind me, kneeling down as I was to look at the wondrous piece of garbage. He sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Man, whoever owns this bike really did a number on it."

I nodded and fell back on my ass, not caring about the puddle of grease I landed in. The owner of this once beautiful bike really had no clue how to take care of it. I sighed and ran a dirty hand through my hair.

"This is gonna take all day, and maybe some of tomorrow. If I'm lucky."

Garrett patted me on the shoulder, squeezing and chuckling. "You're the one that said you could fix even the worst pieces."

I laughed and shook my head. "Me and my ego."

Garrett chuckled behind me, I heard him stand up and walk to the front, leaving me to my annoyance. Luckily. I had an outlet these days. I wiped my hands on a dirty rag and pulled my phone from my pocket, pulling up the contact that sent shivers down my spine.

Bella.

I texted her. I just wanted to know how her day was going. Just hearing from her made my days a little better. My soul a little lighter. I knew it was crazy. I couldn't even explain the connection I felt for the woman. Her beautiful brown eyes fucking haunted me daily. I wanted to be closer to her. And it frustrated me to no end that she kept me at a distance.

Maybe that was the appeal. Always wanting what I can't have.

And I definitely didn't have Bella.

There was just something about her that drew me in, like a moth to a flame, I was burning to get nearer to her. I knew she had a lot going on, what with her kid, her business, her life. I could understand all of that. I just wished she would let me in. Just a little.

I set my phone down next to me and went back to working on the sporty bike in front of me. That old businessman with a balding head and too young girlfriend better be ready to pay up for all the work I'm putting into his bike. It was always the older men with the midlife crisis bringing me the scraps of their sparsely cared for bikes and expecting a miracle fix.

Shame. But it was what kept my business alive and my dog fed. So I couldn't complain too much.

Speaking of which, Jake lay in the corner of the shop, his big tongue lolling out as his loud snores echoed off the walls. I loved that big goofball. The fact that I had introduced him to Bella was a feat all its own.

There was just something about her that made me trust her. Made me want to trust her.

The chorus to_ Crazy Train_ filled my ears and I looked down at my phone to see that I had a call coming in. It was one of my best friends, Emmett.

"What's up?" I answered distractedly as I continued to study the bike.

"So, I'm not completely sure," he started right off the bat. "But I think I finally met your girl."

I felt my heart stop at the mention of 'my girl'. As if. I could only wish. "Bella is there?"

Emmett took a breath. "Well, she sure looks like the picture you showed us, but she ain't smiling, so I can't be too sure. She's been here a while and she looks pissed."

I checked the time on my phone. It was nearing two o'clock. What on earth would Bella be doing at a bar at this time of day? On a weekday, too? Maybe something was wrong. She hadn't texted me back yet. In fact, she hadn't texted me since early in the day and that was just to say good morning.

I bit my cheek. "What is she doing?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Well, her body language is calm but her face looks like she's about to start a bar fight," he laughed.

I looked at the bike I was working on, then back at Garrett. He was sitting with his feet up on the counter, his chair tilted back. He didn't look busy and that's all I cared about.

"Hey, Garrett!" I called to him. He looked back almost falling from his perch.

"Yeah?"

"I need you to watch the shop and Jake for me for just a bit."

"You got it, boss." he saluted and went back to teetering on his chair.

I rolled my eyes and addressed Emmett. "I'm on my way."

Before I could hang up, Emmett boomed a laugh. "Does this make us stalkers? Am I like a co-stalker now?"

"Shut up, I'm just worried about her."

And I was. I didn't know much about the mysterious girl of my waking dreams, but I knew enough to figure that bar hopping in the middle of the day was not of the norm for her. Something must be wrong. Surely, she wouldn't get mad at me for checking on her.

And this is no way made me a stalker, I tried to convince myself.

I hopped on my Bobber Chopper and took off. My body pulsing with the knowledge that I was about to see Bella.

My phone kept ringing in my pocket on the way there, but I ignored it, my focus on the road ahead of me. I finally pulled into the lot of the bar and parked my bike next to a beat-up old Harley. I couldn't help but think of all the ways I could restore it as I walked into the bar. I saw Emmett behind the bar and he looked at me like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Bro..."

I grinned at him. "What crawled up your ass?"

"Bro..." he said again, shaking his head.

"Emmett, what's up?"

"Br –,"

"If you say it again, Emmett, I swear to God..."

"Dude," he said instead and I shook my head. "I tried to call you back. You... you should leave."

I looked at him confused, my eyes scanning the bar until they landed that familiar head of thick mahogany hair. I smiled at the sight of it, taking a step nearer to her. She did look slightly upset. I was so focused on her that I didn't register the man across from her until he put his hand over hers on the table. I watched as she looked up, her eyes imploringly settled on his.

The moment looked... intimate.

I couldn't stop the choking noise I felt coming from my throat at the sight. It felt like all the air had been punched right out of me.

Bella looked up then, her eyes startled onto mine.

"E-Edward," she stuttered out, ripping her hands from the man across from her. I finally looked at him. He looked like a fucking douche-bag with his bleach blond hair and manicured brows arched up and speculating as he looked between me and Bella. Then a small smile formed on his lips and I could feel my fists clenching at my sides. I wanted to deck him. Right there. I had to get out.

"Edward," Bella called again, standing from her spot at the booth.

It all made sense now, I thought as I looked at a guilty woman and her smug counterpart. It all made fucking sense. "I get it," I smiled at my stupidity. "I fucking get it."

"No, you don't," she said taking a step closer to me and reaching out. I backed up and jerked my hand back from her proximity. How fucking dare she? She keeps me on the line, giving just a little bit of scraps to keep me coming back like a fucking dog while she's out doing whatever the hell she wants?

Nah, I don't think so.

I turned and booked it out of the bar, swearing at Emmett as he tried to call me and ignoring Bella as I heard her footfalls behind me. I threw my leg over my bike and revved, drowning out the voice behind me.

"Go back in with your boyfriend, Bella," I spat venomously. "I don't want to talk to you."

"You don't understand," she argued and I looked at her, her eyes begging me to listen. I didn't want to hear it. "That's not at all what it looked like."

I scoffed. Bullshit. I had been through this too many times. I don't play games. I let her know exactly how I felt. I did get it. I got it completely. Why she kept me at arm's length. I wasn't fucking dense.

The door opened behind her and that smug bastard came out with a shit-eating grin on his face. I wanted to punch it right off his face but I kept my cool. I had learned my lessons about fighting for a woman who could care less.

"Whatever, Bella." I revved up and sped away, leaving them both in my dust.

I drove back to my shop, ignoring Garrett's questioning stare. I went back to working on the stupid bike for the next few hours, giving it my complete concentration. When it was time to close, I gathered up my tools and my dog, putting my bike in the bed of my truck and hopping in the cab.

I thought of nothing as I drove home with Jake blissfully unaware and gobbling up the air from the open window. I wished I could be that free. Free of feeling this too familiar feeling. This pit in my stomach, the lump in my throat, and tension in my body.

When I made it home and opened the door for Jake he shot out of the truck like a bat out of hell and made a beeline for our apartment. I walked a much slower pace as I tried desperately to make my head stop thinking about things.

I turned to the stairs leading up to my apartment and stopped dead in my tracks. There, sitting at the bottom and looking every bit like the Devil in her tight white t-shirt and black leggings was Bella. She had her head to the side as Jake licked her face.

"Jake, down!" I commanded and he immediately got off her of and ran to my side. "Sit." He did as commanded and I pat his head to let him know he wasn't in any trouble.

"Edward," she breathed, standing from the steps to her full height, her shoulders squared at her ears. "Please listen."

I shook my head and made to step around her but she grabbed my arm. I jerked it away and she winced but stayed put. "There's nothing to say."

"No, there is. You're making assumptions from what you saw and that's not fair."

Not fair?

"What's not fair is you keeping me around when you had no intentions of this going anywhere. Giving me just enough that I stick around while you pursue other options. I told you, I don't play games. I thought I made that clear."

She glared at me then and I had to take a step back from the intensity. "I am not like that, Edward. And I don't appreciate being accused of such salaciousness. If you would just get your head out of your ass and listen to me, then I could explain it to you," she growled. I had never heard her swear before.

"I saw what I saw."

"What you saw was me talking to my estranged husband about him coming back into our daughter's life. What you saw was me thinking about the ramifications of that. What you saw was me warring with myself on whether or not to tell my daughter that the man who broke her heart wants another chance. That's what you saw, Edward."

Dumbfounded, I took a step back and looked down at her red face and angry dark eyes. I saw nothing but truthfulness in them. "Oh," was all I could say.

Oh...

"And the reason I keep you at an arms-length," she continued, still just as heated, "is because I have so much drama in my life with my kid and her feelings that I can't even focus on my own feelings, let alone allow myself to feel them. And I knew Riley coming back was always a possibility because while we're separated, he has yet to sign any divorce papers. I have so much going on, Edward, I didn't want to drag you into my problems. I didn't expect to find someone so soon. I can't deal, okay? I'm an idiot for even trying," she cried, her eyes filling with tears, her chest heaving.

I took a step forward and it was her turn to take a step back. "I have so much baggage that I can't breathe under the weight of it. I just didn't want to drag you down with me."

I nodded and slipped my hands into my pockets. That was a lot. A lot to think about. For me, it wasn't so cut and dry anymore. Bella hadn't been completely upfront with her baggage, but neither had I. We talked but about nothing of importance.

But as I looked at her red cheeks starting to dampen with her tears, I felt a pulling deep down within me. This peculiar woman had me snared, bared and wanting. I couldn't help it. I took another step forward, lifting one of my hands from my pocket and laying it on her wet cheek.

"I'm sorry I assumed," I told her. "I'm sorry you have so much going on and I'm sorry you felt you couldn't be honest with me about it. I know we're just starting out, Bella, but I like you. More than I really can explain to even myself. And...," I took a deep breath and bent at the knees so our eyes were level with one another. "I want you to let me in."

She looked into my eyes. "I can't."

"I won't run."

"You'll regret it," she argued, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We'll never know unless we try. Do you want to spend the rest of forever wondering?"

I knew I sure as hell didn't.

She bit her lip and looked down. "You won't like it once you're there," she argued. I have so many issues."

"Aside from your estranged husband, those would be?"

"I have self-esteem issues."

"I have a giant ego," I compromised.

"I have no time."

"Give me what you can," I took another step closer to her.

"My daughter is a brat," she huffed out a broken laugh and I grinned.

"She must get it from her mother," I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "You really think you can handle this?"

"I've been through a lot, Bella. If there's anything I know about myself, it's that I can get through anything and come out alive."

"You really like me?"

Her eyes wavered on mine, searching and I nodded. "I really do. Lord knows why, but I do."

She laughed then, her tears spilling more freely. "I like you, too."

"Why wouldn't you?"

I lifted my other hand from my pocket and placed it on her other cheek, pulling her close to my face. "Just give me a chance. I may surprise you."

She smiled at me and ended up surprising me by placing her wet lips to mine in a slow, searing kiss that made my hair stand on end and my eyes to roll slightly. Too soon, she pulled away and looked at me.

"Get ready for a whole lot of crazy then," she smiled sadly.

I placed my forehead against hers. "I'm ready."

* * *

**If you're still with me and still enjoying this story, then please leave a review and let me know what your thoughts are! There will be more Edward in the story from here on out.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Truth**

After leaving Edward, I drove home with the biggest smile on my face, my heart twittered in my chest. I drove with one hand on the wheel, the other gently stroking my lips, the smile on face feeling tight and stretched.

We had come to some kind of conclusion on our relationship. As in, we had a relationship now as opposed to the messy half-truth we had shared before. I was elated. Thought that elation quickly subsided when I got home and pulled into the driveway.

I had other fish to fry now.

I took a deep breath and unlocked the front door. I found Mickey sitting on the sofa, her head lolling to the side and being held up by her hand as she channel surfed. I squared my shoulders. It was now or never.

"Mickey," I called as I entered the living room.

She looked up and smiled tiredly at me. "Hey, mama. Where have you been?"

She sat up straighter and I sat down next to her. "I was with Edward," I told her honestly.

Honesty. It was the best policy and all that. Being honest with Edward made me feel like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And the result was amazing. I didn't know if I would have the same luck with my emotional daughter. But I had to be honest. The times for messing around were over.

"Oh," she said raising her brow a fraction.

"Yeah, we had some things to discuss."

She nodded. "Okay."

She was getting better about the whole Edward thing. Slowly but surely. Now I had another wrench to throw in. "We need to talk about something."

"Oh, God, you're pregnant, aren't you?" she asked with a nervous giggle.

Horror struck my insides. "Absolutely not." I'd have to actually have sex to accomplish that. But I left that part out. "No, baby. I just need you listen to me and try to keep a level head."

"Hit me with it," she said, sitting straight and clasping her hands on her lap, turning to face me.

I took a deep breath. "Well, you know how I left work today for a while?"

She nodded.

"Okay, I was meeting with someone."

"Edward?" She cocked her head to the side.

"No. I...," Oh, God. I took a breath in through my nose and held it before finally letting it go. Letting everything go. "I met with your father. He messaged me a while back about wanting to meet up. Said he needed to talk to me. He's... he's back."

The color in her cheeks drained, her eyes filling with tears that spilled effortlessly down her cheeks. She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head. "What?"

Grabbing her hands on her lap and scooting closer to her, I touched her cheek softly, wiping the tears away. "Your dad is back."

She swallowed loudly. "Does he... does he want to see me?"

I closed my eyes to the hope in her eyes and nodded. "Yes. Do you want to see him?" I asked, already having an idea of what her answer would be.

She jumped from the sofa, my eyes sliding open to look at her face. She looked scared.

"I... I, y-yes... I don't know. Maybe? Should I?"

I stood up and took her hands in mine. "I can't make that decision for you."

She nodded minutely, swallowing audibly. "I've texted him, called him... he never answered. It went straight to voice mail."

"Well, the number is active again if you want to try again."

She nodded, pulling her phone from her back pocket and holding it to her chest. "He's really back?"

"Yes," I sighed. I hated this whole situation. But I knew how bad it would have been had her father contacted her and she found out that I knew and didn't say anything. We were finally making progress and this was going to happen whether I wanted it to or not.

I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her waist while she hugged her phone. She laid her head on my shoulder.

I had such a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"How did the talk go?" Edward asked later that night.

I turned onto my side, kicking the blankets off of me. I couldn't sleep and called him needing some support. "I'm not even sure," I groaned. "She seemed shocked, mostly."

"I can understand that. Do you think he'll do right by her?"

I sighed. "I don't think he has it in him to do right by her. But what am I supposed to do?"

Edward hummed. "I guess you'll just have to see how it goes and hope for the best."

"I'm scared for her," I admitted.

"I know you are," he sighed. "I don't blame you. What are you going to do about, well, divorce? I mean, is that what you want to do?"

He sounded nervous. I groaned into my pillow. "Yeah, that needs to happen. I have the papers. He just needs to sign them. And then there will be legalese and all that to deal with. I haven't done it yet because I couldn't find him or reach him."

"Well, hopefully, he signs the papers and this can be as painless as possible."

I snorted. Riley and painless were not synonymous. "Yeah, we'll see."

"I'm hoping for the best," he encouraged.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," I groaned.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"Us," I answered simply.

He chuckled. "Can we talk about meeting with my friends?"

I rolled my eyes. "Like a dog with a bone," I muttered playfully.

"It's important to me," he urged.

I sighed. "I know it. Yes, Edward. I'll meet your friends."

There was silence on his end for a moment. When he spoke again, I could hear the grin in his voice. "You already met of them actually."

I sat up straight. "When? Who?"

He laughed, it was an awkward sound and I could swear I heard him scratch the back of his head. "Today at the bar. He was the one serving you. His name is Emmett."

I slapped my hand to my forehead. "Oh, jeez."

"Yeah... he's actually the reason I was at the bar. He called me to tell me you were there."

"How did he know who I was?" I was curious.

"I showed all my friends your picture off meetme," he admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"Oh, jeez," I said again. "That's embarrassing."

"They all said you're very pretty."

My cheeks burned. My mouth opening and closing, no sound coming out.

"Bella?" Edward called me back to attention.

"I'm here. Well, now meeting them, especially Emmett is going to be a real treat," I bit out sarcastically.

Edward laughed. "It will be fine. I promise. They're really cool people. And they already like you by how much I have talked about you."

More burning cheeks. "So when do you want to do this?"

"I was thinking this Friday? After you get off work. Say around seven at my place?"

I nodded and then realized he couldn't see. "Okay, sounds... good."

"Don't sound too excited there." His laugh was muffled.

"I'm nervous."

"I'm excited," he countered. "I'll tell them to be on their best behavior."

"Okay. Friday at seven," I agreed. "I need to get some sleep. I have to be at the bakery early tomorrow. I have a lot of orders that need to be filled by the end of the week."

"Okay. Goodnight, Bella. Sweet dreams, gorgeous."

I smiled into the phone. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

**Okay, so thank you all so much. I really appreciated all the support for the last chapter. Please review if you're still with me. Y'all are my muses.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: The Meeting and the Reckoning **

"You don't have to be nervous," Mickey mumbled distractedly, her eyes set on her phone as she lounged on her stomach on my bed.

I sighed. I was beyond nervous. "I'm meeting his friends. It's nerve-wracking." I adjusted the strap on my shirt so my bra strap was hidden underneath it.

I turned to Mickey with my arms out. "How do I look?"

She looked up from her phone and smiled. "You look beautiful, Ma."

I bit my lip and turned to the full-length mirror on my closet door. I wore a strappy black and white shirt that flared out at my hips and black jeans that fit me just perfectly. I topped it off with my hair in a loose bun atop my head, tendrils framing my face.

I turned this way and that way, checking myself out. "It's not too much?"

Mickey rolled her eyes. "You're prettier than a picture, whatever the fuck that means."

I glared at her in the mirror and she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

I checked the time on my phone and groaned. I had half an hour before I had to start heading to Edward's apartment. I still needed to put my makeup on. I wasn't big on makeup, but I knew how to apply the basics and I wanted to look nice.

I sat at my vanity and started with my eyeliner, winging it out and then topping my lashes with a small coat of mascara. I finished off the look with dark red lipstick, smacking my lips together in the mirror and appraising myself.

"It will have to do," I mumbled to myself.

Mickey came up behind me and smiled at my reflection. "You're so purty," she giggled.

"Are you going to be okay while I'm out?"

"Yes, Mom. I'm just gonna get into your wine and throw a party for my friends. All two of them."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, smartass." I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. I never swore unless I was really peeved off and never in front of my impressionable daughter. I had cut swearing out of my life almost completely when I had her and one of her first words was "shit."

She cocked her brow at me. "Mama's growing up," she cooed and I reached back to slap her on her stomach. She winced and moved away from my flinging fingers.

I checked the time again. I really had to go. I sighed and stood up, grabbing a pair of black booties from my closet. "Just be good while I'm gone. I'll try to be home before midnight."

She nodded, her eyes back on her phone. I stilled on my way to the door. "Have you... tried contacting your dad yet?" I had been avoiding the subject but curiosity got the better of me.

She shook her head. "I'm not ready yet."

"It's all up to you, Mick."

Her head nodded minutely, her eyes still on her phone. If she hadn't contacted him yet, her serious interest in her phone was questionable. I decided I would ask about it later.

"Love you, baby."

"Love you, too," she replied.

* * *

I took a deep breath in through my nose and held it as I stood outside Edward's door, my hand poised to knock but not cooperating. I let the breath out I had been holding and forced my hand to bang on the door. I could hear music coming from inside and muffled voices.

The door swung open and a giant man the size of a linebacker appeared with a mischievous smile on his face. It took me a moment, startled as I was, to recognize him as the kindly bartender from Pete's.

"Hello, little lady," he greeted tipping an imaginary hat and waggling his eyebrows.

I blushed. "Hi," I replied in a small voice.

He stepped to the side and gestured for me to come in. I did so reluctantly. My eyes widened as I saw three sets of eyes staring at me from various places around the apartment. Jake came barreling down the hallway and jumped up, trying to lick my face. I pat him awkwardly on the head.

"Jake," that familiar voice called from my side and I looked to see Edward standing at the entrance to his kitchen. He was leaning against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. "That's no way to treat a lady. Down."

Jake jumped off me and ran over to a tiny raven-haired woman lounging on the couch. She smiled and greeted him almost as energetically as he did her.

Edward pushed off the wall and came to stand next to me, the heat of his body enveloping me as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pushing me slightly forward to the center of the room.

"Guys," he called their attention even though it was already on us. "this is Bella. Bella, you've met Emmett. This is the rest of the misfits. Alice," he gestured toward the spiky-haired beauty on the couch. "her husband Jasper," he motioned towards a tall broad-shouldered man with ear length blond hair that stood by the record player, "and last and very least, Rosalie," he pointed to an intimidating model-like blonde standing in the corner of the room, her arms crossed over her chest.

She gave me a one-finger wave and half-smile, then proceeded to flip Edward the bird.

I gave a tiny wave to the room. "It's nice to meet you all."

"It's so awesome to meet you, Bella!" Alice jumped from the couch and came over to me, her eyes raking over my entire being. "Love the shoes," she finally said after a long hard look at me.

"Thank you." I scuttled awkwardly on my feet.

"We've heard so much about you," Jasper said, coming to collect his exuberant wife from my face, leading her back to the couch.

I looked at Edward. His cheeks were tinged pink and I smiled at the sight. "Hopefully all good things."

"Many things," Rosalie piped up, stepping out of her corner. She put her hand to her chest. "Her hair shines in the sun, her eyes sparkle like diamonds," she snickered lowering her hand. "Crap like that."

Edward's cheeks got impossibly redder and he glared at Rosalie.

"Babe, leave him alone. He's smitten as a kitten," Emmett came up and clapped Edward hard on the shoulder. Edward pushed him and Emmett laughed going to stand next to Rosalie.

I guessed they were a pair as well.

Everyone was looking at me. My cheeks flamed from the attention. Edward tightened his hold on me.

"Why don't you sit? Do you want a drink?"

"Water, please."

He nodded and pushed me lightly toward the couch. I watched his back as he retreated to the kitchen. Looking back at the room, all eyes were still on me. I took a deep breath and made my way to the couch, hyper-aware of my surroundings and the people in my bubble.

Alice immediately turned to me when I sat down, her eyes bright and expectant. "So you own a bakery?"

I nodded and smiled shyly back at her. "Yes."

"That's so cool! I'm trying to open up a clothing store, something small right now until I can find my footing. All my own designs and all my own creations."

"That's really cool," I replied and I meant it. Anyone willing to go into business for themselves needed all the support they could get.

I felt the seat next to me dip down and I looked back to see Rosalie sitting there languidly with her legs crossed, her arms permanently locked over her chest. "So you have a kid?"

"A fifteen-year-old," I replied somewhat protectively at her brusque tone.

"Me and Em are currently trying for one of our own." She smiled sadly, her voice softening. "It's been about a year with no luck."

Emmett came to sit on the arm of the couch next to her. He rubbed her back in small circles. He smiled down at her. "Trying is the fun part, no?"

She smiled indulgently up at him. "You got that right."

"Kids are hard work," I said. "And once the teenage years hit, things get weird."

They all laughed at that. I fell back in my seat and fell into a comfortable conversation. Edward finally returned with my water and sat on the table in front of me, a happy smile on his face.

At some point, Edward grabbed lightly on my ankle and whispered, "You doing okay?"

I nodded and smiled reassuringly at him. I actually was completely okay. His friends were great. And the night was going better than I could have hoped for.

Alice was exuberant and brilliantly kindhearted. Her husband balanced her out nicely with his calm demeanor and quiet words. Emmett was a boisterous troublemaker, taking every opportunity to embarrass Edward. Rosalie was quiet and observant, her eyes taking in every look and touch between me and Edward with a small smile on her face. And she was very interested in what being a parent was like.

"She sounds like my Em a bit," Rosalie laughed as I told her about my daughter. "Little buggar."

I laughed and nodded. "She can be quite the handful. Sometimes it's all I can do not to rip my hair out when she opens her mouth."

"Aw, I can't wait to have one of my own," she sighed, looking up at Emmett with warmth and love in her eyes.

He stared down at her with the same amount of devotion.

I looked at Edward and he was smiling from ear to ear. "Glad you came?"

I nodded. "Very. I'm having a great time."

His smile grew impossibly wider. "Me too." He leaned in closer to me giving us at least the illusion of privacy. "They're not so bad, huh?"

"Not at all. I like them."

"They like you, too. I can tell."

Smiling, I reached out to take his hand that was sitting on his knee. My skin tingled where it touched his and my heart raced from the contact.

"I like you," I told him, feeling bold.

"I like you more."

I blushed and looked down. I wasn't so sure about that. Spending time with him, with his friends, I felt so close to him and yet not nearly close enough.

I checked my phone for the time. It was nearing midnight. "Oh, shoot," I sighed. "I have to get home. I told Mickey I'd be home before midnight."

"Aww, that sucks," Alice griped next to me.

"We'll have to do this again," I offered.

"Yes, absolutely. Here," she said holding her hand out for my phone. I gave it to her warily. "I'm just gonna put my number in and we can set up a time to hang out, just us girls."

I smiled. That sounded actually really great.

Alice handed me back my phone and Edward stood from his perch on the coffee table. He held his hand out to me and I took it eagerly. "I'll walk you to your car."

Grinning, I stood with him and waved my goodbyes to the room.

Edward and I walked in silence to my car, our hands swinging between us. When we got to my car, he stopped and let go of my hand, pushing me up against the side of the door and melding his lips to mine. The kiss was excruciatingly hot and slow, our lips tangling together. He pulled away all too soon and laid his forehead against mine.

"I've wanted to do that since the other night," he breathed heavily.

My breaths were just as labored. I smiled shyly up at him. "Glad you took the initiative this time."

He grinned and pushed back from me, his eyes smoldering into my own. "Drive safe, Bella. Text me when you get home, please."

"Will do."

He walked backward as I climbed into my car, a goofy smile on his face. He waved as I drove away. The whole way home, I had the biggest smile on my face.

When I pulled up to my house, there was a blue Prius parked on the curb and all the lights were on in the house. My eyebrows knitted together as I quickly walked to the door to find it unlocked.

"Mickey," I called when I entered the threshold.

Mickey came running to me from the kitchen, her eyes wide and pleading. "I didn't ask him to come," she whispered urgently.

"Who?" I asked but I had a feeling I knew the answer.

My suspicions were confirmed when a head of blond hair popped out of the kitchen. "Late night?" he asked, a small half-smile playing on his lips.

"What the fuck," I growled, taking a step closer to him.

* * *

**Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement for my little story! It made me want to stay up and write more for you. Bella is not happy. What do you think she will do?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Reckless**

I stood with my hands clenched into fists at my sides, taking in his smug overly white smile easy-going stance with his hands in his trouser pockets, one foot crossed over the other like he owned the place. Like he wasn't the scum of the earth.

"Get out," I growled taking a step toward him.

"Bella," he started in a calming tone, but I was in no position to be calmed.

"How dare you just show up here like this!"

"It's my house...,"

"That you abandoned along with everything and everyone in it," I snapped. I punctuated each of my words with a finger to my chest. "I've been paying the bills by myself, providing everything we need. By. My. Self. You have no right. How dare you?"

He looked down, the smile fading from his lips. "Look, I know, okay? I just needed to see Mckayla. I texted her a few days ago and she hasn't responded. I got worried."

I laughed humorlessly. "Oh, now you're worried? Where the hell were you the last year? She could have used some of your interest then."

"Guys...," Mickey interrupted us and I had forgotten she was even still standing off the side of us. "Please don't fight."

Her hands found their way to the sides of her head, her eyes swimming with tears. My anger smashed down, but not forgotten, I glared at Riley. "Outside." I jerked my head toward the door.

"Mom," Mickey started and I looked at her with as much patience as I could muster.

"Just go to your room. It's late. You need to be in bed."

She looked at her dad for a moment before dropping her head and her shoulders, she turned to the stairs and was halfway up before Riley spoke to her.

"I'll see you soon, Mckayla. I promise."

She looked back at him and gave a small smile before running up to her room and closing the door, hard.

I walked to the front door, opening it and gesturing for Riley to walk out before me. I had half a mind to close it on him and call it a night, but the bigger part of me wanted to scream at him and make him feel as small as he made me feel a year ago.

He walked down the porch steps quickly and then turned on his heel to look at me, the smile was gone, but his eyes dancing as if he were enjoying this. I sure as hell wasn't.

"Look, Bella, I know I should have called you before just showing up, but I needed to see my daughter. I had to. Knowing she was so close and I couldn't see her was killing me."

I laughed at that, head thrown back and maniacal with rage. "It was killing you? How about this last year? Was it killing you then?"

"You have no idea how sorry I am about what I did. I just needed to get out. Life was getting so... so tedious."

I cocked a brow. "Tedious? Life got too boring for you so you decided you'd pack up a bag and leave your kid behind for some young little skank?"

"Victoria was a mistake." He bowed his head. "It was all a mistake. I missed you both so much." He took a step nearer to me and I countered with a step back, glaring at him.

"Well, I didn't miss you. Good fucking riddance as far as I'm concerned."

"But Mckayla missed me, didn't she?"

"She shouldn't have had to miss you! You bastard, how could you hurt her like that and then show up out of the blue and try to get her on your side behind my back."

"I didn't know you wouldn't be here," he spat. "Who would have known you'd be out on the fucking town while Mckayla was home alone."

"Don't you dare," I seethed stepping up to him. I ran down the steps and came up to his face as much as I could with my height. I looked up into his face. "I'm allowed to have a life. Being a single mother is hard work. I get some nights to myself."

He looked down, his face at least somewhat contrite. "I know, I'm sorry. I guess it's really none of my business."

"You're damn right."

"I wanted to see you both and get this all settled. I wanted a civil conversation between the three of us."

"I don't give a shit what you want."

He nodded. "As you shouldn't. But I want to fix things. With you and Mckayla."

I took a step back and appraised him from his slick brown loafers to his perfectly coiffed hair and then spat. I pursed my lips and spat on his dumb shoes. He took a staggering step back and looked at me, appalled.

"Fuck you. You will never fix things with me. You broke my daughter's heart into a million pieces." I could feel my heart racing in my chest. I never had such an urge to punch someone in my life. I locked my hands behind my back because the impulse was almost too much to ignore.

"You broke her heart and her trust. You know she thinks I'll abandon her too? That's how little faith she has in the sanctity of parenthood. _You_ did that. _You_."

He bowed his head and sighed. "I want to repair the damage I caused. Whether you like it or not, she is still my daughter. I have a right to see her and try to fix things. That is my right as her father. So you better get used to me being around. I'm not going anywhere this time. Deal with it."

I sneered at him, my body vibrating with hate. My hands unlocked of their own volition and before I could stop myself, I attacked him. My hands slapping and punching and scratching at his face and shoulders and anywhere else I could reach. "Fuck you!" I screamed over and over again during my attack. He finally got his hands wrapped around my wrists and he pushed me back, his hand going to his bloodied lips.

"Are you crazy?"

I felt crazy. I felt fucking blissfully insane. I went after him again but he pushed me back and I fell on the steps, my hands reaching back to catch my fall, a sharp pain springing up my arm.

I screamed and held my hand to my chest. "Ow, fuck!"

"Shit, Bella, I'm sorry," he said hurriedly as he ran over to me. I kicked at him with my legs.

"Leave!" I yelled. "Get the fuck out of here now before I stab you with my keys, I swear to God I will kill you."

His eyes widened and he took a few staggering steps back before turning on his heel and jumping in his car. I cried and held my hand to my chest as his car sped off down the street. I grabbed for my purse that lay next to me on the steps and pulled out my phone. I dialed the only person I needed at that moment.

"Hello, gorgeous," his voiced purred into the phone. "Did you make it home okay?"

I cried into the phone. "E-Edward."

"Bella? What happened?"

"I-I need help," I whispered pathetically, my eyes scanning the street and seeing a few faces watching me from their porches. My eyes widened and I scrambled up from the steps grabbing my purse and pushing my way back into the house.

"What happened?" he asked again. I could hear his keys jingling in the background and muffled voices.

"I think I need to go to the hospital."

"Bella, what –,"

"I'll explain everything when I see you."

"Where are you?" he asked and I could hear a door slam on his end.

"I'm at home." I gave him my address and hung up the phone, my body falling onto the sofa as I clutched my arm to me wincing in pain.

I couldn't stop the cries that emanated from me as the adrenaline left me and my body crumpled into the sofa, head laying on the armrest.

"Mom?" Mickey came barreling down the stairs. "What happened?" She was next to me in an instant, her hands on mine over my hurt arm.

"I-I fell," I lied. I didn't want to tell her I attacked her father and he pushed me. Things were bad enough I didn't want to add to it.

"You fell?" she asked, disbelief in her eyes. "Did Dad do this?" she asked angrily.

I sighed and tried to stop the tears. "Edward is on his way to take me to the hospital," I answered, ignoring her question.

"I'll go with you," she said vehemently.

"No," I said quickly. "No, you need to stay home and get some sleep. It's late."

"Are you serious?" she yelled. "No way. I'm going with you."

I groaned and buried my face in the arm of the sofa. I felt her soft hands on my back, rubbing soothing circles. This was not how I wanted her to meet Edward for the first time.

Soon, there was a knock at the door and Mickey jumped up to answer it. I stood on unsteady feet, the pain making me feel sick to my stomach. Edward rushed into the living room with Mickey close behind him, both of them looking equal parts panicked and confused.

"What happened?" Edward demanded as he came to stand next to me, his arm circling my waist.

I looked over at Mickey and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I'll tell you later."

Mickey glared. "Dad did it," she spat. "Right?" She looked at me with a challenge in her eyes.

I sighed and slumped against Edward. "Is that true?" he asked, deadly calm.

I nodded into his chest and I felt his chest rumble beneath me. "I, uh, went after him," I admitted since we were being honest. "I was just so mad," I cried and Edward tightened his grip around me, leading me to the door.

Mickey followed behind. She grabbed my purse from the floor by the couch and ran after us making sure she would not be left behind. A large truck was parked outside my house and Edward guided me to the passenger side of it. There was just enough room for me to sit in the middle and lean against Edward while Mickey took the window seat.

The ride to the hospital was quiet save for my heavy breathing and cries of pain at every pothole we hit. Edward cringed over a particularly brutal one. "Sorry," he muttered.

After fifteen minutes we mercifully pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Mickey jumped out first and Edward ran to the passenger side to help me down. We three walked into the ER and I signed in. It didn't take long for them to take me back and get an X-ray on my arm. I had a small hairline fracture to my right wrist and they put a brace on it, telling me to come back for a cast in a week.

I didn't even want to know what the bill would be for all of that. I had insurance but it sure didn't cover much of anything.

The ride back to the house was quiet as I was on some pain killers that I would need to pick up from the pharmacy the next day. I laid lazily on Edward's shoulder while Mickey played with the edge of my brace on her lap.

When we pulled into my driveway, Edward sighed. "You going to be okay?"

I nodded. "I just need to sleep." The painkillers were really kicking in.

"I'll walk you two in," he said quickly jumping from the cab of his truck. He rounded to the passenger side just as Mickey jumped out. She surprised me by looking up at him for seemingly the first time. "Thanks, Edward. Thanks for taking care of my mom."

He smiled down at her and nodded. "Of course. And it was nice to meet you. Just wish it was under better circumstances."

Mickey smiled tiredly up at him and moved to the side so he could help me down. He walked me to the door and Mickey unlocked it, letting us all in.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked me, leaning down to my ear.

I shivered as his breath washed over me. "I'm okay. Thank you so much for coming here and taking care of me."

"Of course, Bella," he scoffed playfully. "If you need me, I'm only a call away."

I smiled at him and pulled away, squeezing around his waist before letting go. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he replied adamantly. "Will you be working at the library?"

I shook my head with a sigh. "I'm calling in."

He nodded, a smile on his face. "Good. You could use the break right now with everything going on."

"No doubt," I huffed.

Mickey sidled up next to me and handed me my purse with a small smile.

"Well, I'll let you two get to bed," Edward said making a move for the door. He looked like he wanted to say something else but shook his head and smiled, walking out the door.

"He's nice," Mickey observed when the door closed behind him. I walked over and locked it.

"He really is."

"Mom," she called. "Why did you attack Dad?"

I groaned and laid my head against the door. "I really don't know. Pent up aggression, maybe."

She nodded. "I understand. Do you need help up the stairs?"

I shook my head. "I'll make it," I told her quietly. She left me to go to her room and I sighed falling to the floor against the door, my hands crossed over my chest.

Things were going to get ugly. Well, uglier.

* * *

**Thank you SO MUCH for your kind words on the last chapter. Y'all are making writing so much more enjoyable.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Deal**

My skin itched under the brace on my hand. I slapped at the firm plastic and winced as pain shot through my arm. The painkillers were subpar at best. Not as substantial as what I got at the hospital the night before. Why do they always give you the good stuff at the ER and then set you up with some bogus stuff for after?

I sat on the porch with a wine cooler in hand. I didn't even care it was early afternoon as I drank it down and popped open another. I was enjoying my Saturday off as I watched Mickey skate around on her new board, 'breaking it in', as she said. She did some flips and kicks and at one point fell flat on her face. I laughed as she hopped up and looked around to make sure no one saw. She smiled sheepishly at me.

"Walk it off, hon," I called out to her.

She gave me two thumbs up and went back to skating up and down the sidewalk. For someone as clumsy as her, she was quite graceful on the board. I felt a sense of pride as I watched her flip her board under her feet and smile in triumph when she landed back on it.

I whooped and clapped and she looked down bashfully.

Checking my phone I had a text from Edward. He had been texting me constantly throughout the day. Checking up on me and being sweet as candy.

_I can't wait to see you, _he texted and I smiled wide.

We had decided he would come over for dinner and be formally introduced to Mickey. I was making burritos with all the fixings. Apparently burritos were a love Mickey and Edward shared. And I wanted everything to be perfection.

_**I miss you,**_ I texted back.

I really did. I felt a need for him now. A craving for his presence. I let him in at a vulnerable moment and I felt the foundation of our relationship solidify if only fractionally. He made me see that he was reliable. And he cared. That meant more to me than anything else.

_You have no idea, beautiful._

I set my phone down and looked out to the street. Mickey had disappeared somewhere. My eyes caught onto a face peering at me from the house across from mine. Old Mrs. Cope watched me from her stoop and I could barely make out a scowl on her wrinkled face. She had been one of the faces from the night before, watching the fight between me and Riley.

I scowled right back at her and gulped down my drink, daring her to say something. I was so done taking crap from people, it wasn't even funny. Ever since my attack on Riley, I felt my anger and aggression reach a new high. I wanted to swing on him again and make him gush blood. But I tried to keep a level head. While it felt really good, the night before had been an oops on my part. I had to be careful.

I didn't know what Riley was up to.

Mickey came back through, breaking my eye contact with the woman across the street. She flipped her skateboard up into her hands and walked over to me.

"How's the hand?" she asked coming to sit next to me.

I held it up and grimaced. "Annoying."

Mickey nodded. "So... there's something I need to tell you about last night," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully, her eyes guarded.

That had my full attention. "Go on, then."

She took a deep breath. "Dad showed up and let himself in when I opened the door. I told him I wasn't ready to see him, that's why I hadn't responded to his text. He said he understood but he had to talk to me. Well, we talked for a while and he apologized over and over again to the point I didn't want to hear it anymore. Words are just words, ya know? I told him that. And he said he would prove to me and you that he was here to stay. He said whether you liked it or not he would be in our lives again."

I swallowed the growl I felt rumbling up my chest and into my throat. "Yeah, he said something similar when we talked last night. That's when I lost it." I looked at her, her expression oddly blank. I couldn't read her. "Is that what you want? I know you missed him."

She nodded slightly. "I did miss him. He's my dad, ya know? But... I don't know. He really hurt me. And I don't trust him. I really never thought I would have the chance to see him again and I don't know how I feel about the whole situation. And I'm pissed at him for pushing you and hurting you last night. It's all just too much right now. Too much going on. I can't even deal."

I wrapped my hurt arm around her shoulder and leaned in close to her. "Just know that whatever you decide, I will be okay with. I will stand by you no matter what. If you want him in your life, I will step aside and not put up a fight. But just know that your father is flaky, always has been. I'm not saying he doesn't love you, honey, but he's a selfish man. And I want you to be prepared for whatever may happen."

"I know," she sniffled and I looked into her face to see her eyes swimming with tears. "I know he loves me but I also know he cares more about himself. That's why I'm iffy about letting him back in."

I hugged her closer to me. "You know you'll always have me, right?"

She smiled and nodded, leaning her head into my neck. "I love you."

"I love you more."

* * *

Bustling around the kitchen while Mickey set the table, we had less than ten minutes before Edward was scheduled to arrive. Every movement hurt my wrist but I pushed through it. I would have to push through it anyway for the sake of my bakery. I heaved a sigh at the thought. Angela would have to take on a lot more responsibility but she assured me she was okay with it.

"Ma, calm down," Mickey called from the dining room, her eyes appraising me as she leaned over the table to set the bowl of melted queso in the middle.

I ran my good hand through my hair. "Just promise you'll be on your best behavior," I said urgently as the minutes ticked down quickly.

She rolled her eyes. "I will. He helped out when you were hurt. He's a-okay in my book."

I smiled nervously, tugging at my roots. Everything was in order. The house was spotless, the food cooked, the table set, and Leah was lounging in the backyard enjoying the summer. I just needed to calm down. There was a knock at the door and I jumped, running to answer it and nearly slamming face-first into the wall when my foot caught on the edge of the rug.

I balanced myself and ran my hand through my hair to straighten it before pulling the door open. Edward stood there in a pair of washed-out jeans and a charcoal t-shirt that clung to his toned stomach and shoulders so perfectly I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. He never failed to stun me with his effortless beauty.

"Hey," he smiled at me.

"Hi," I breathed.

I moved to the side so he could walk in and he surprised me by grabbing me and wrapping me in a tight hug, his muscular arms locking around my waist, his face buried in my hair. He leaned down and sneaked a quick kiss. Even that innocent simple gesture made a thrill run down my spine.

I smiled shyly up at him as he released me.

"You look beautiful," he smiled warmly, his green eyes sparkling down at me.

I look down at my simple white dress that fell to just above my knees and ruffled over my breasts and blushed, grinning.

"You look handsome as always," I replied.

"And I look damn sexy as usual," Mickey piped up from the entrance to the kitchen leaning against the wall with her arms over her chest.

I glared at her. "Mouth," I warned her and she pushed off the wall to come stand next to us.

Her eyes looked up at Edward and she smiled kindly. "Hey, Edward. Good to see you again."

I breathed a sigh a relief. She was being nice. I was a little worried seeing as she wasn't too happy about my relationship in the beginning. But she seemed to be coming around. As much as I was pissed about the night before, it seemed to lay down a nice foundation on which Mickey and Edward could build.

"It's great to see you," Edward said with genuine sincerity shining in his eyes.

"Ready to eat?" I offered and they both readily agreed.

We headed for the kitchen and took our seats, me at the head with Edward to my right and Mickey on my left. We each filled our plates in silence, the only sound was clinking silverware as we piled our plates with burrito fixings.

It stayed quiet as we ate for the first ten minutes until finally, I opened my mouth to clear away the awkwardness. "Do you guys like the food?"

"Mmm," Mickey replied and I smiled.

Edward swallowed his bite and grinned at me. "You're a great cook, Bella. I shouldn't be surprised though seeing as you own a bakery," he laughed.

"Yeah, well, baking and cooking are very different. I'm better with pastries."

"I'll have to find out for myself one of these days. Maybe I could stop at the bakery and grab something on my break Monday?"

I nodded and smiled. "I'd love that."

"So, Mickey," Edward turned to my daughter, surprising both of us. She looked up from consuming her burrito to give him her attention, swallowing quickly. "I hear you like to skateboard?"

She nodded emphatically. "Heck yeah! I'm the best around."

Edward laughed. "Well, I'm pretty good myself. Maybe I could show you some things after dinner."

Mickey considered this for a moment, her eyes taking him in. "Aren't you kinda... well... old?"

I choked on my bite of food while Edward laughed and patted my back. He gave Mickey a reproachful look when I finally calmed down and I glared daggers at her.

"Hardly." he chuckled. "I bet I could wipe the floor with you."

_Oh, no._

Mickey pursed her lips and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over chest, her cheeks tinged pink and I knew she was taking the challenge way too seriously. "You're on. Hurry up and eat and I'll show you how it's done."

Both Mickey and Edward shoveled way too big bites of food into their mouths and I rolled my eyes watching their antics. Two big babies. When Mickey finished her plate, she jumped up and ran up the stairs, yelling, "I'm going to grab my boards!"

Edward turned to me. "Did I just get myself into a battle with a fifteen-year-old?"

I snorted. "You sure did, ya big baby."

"Hey, now. She called me old," he pouted dramatically and he couldn't have looked cuter.

I reached out and twined my fingers into the hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer to me. I placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips and felt him shiver slightly. I pulled away and smiled, his face mirrored my own. Kissing Edward was quickly becoming my favorite hobby.

"You're stunning," he whispered and my cheeks flamed.

"Okay, old man," Mickey said as she raced into the kitchen, holding her two boards under both of her arms. "Let's see what you got."

Edward smiled a crooked smile at me and winked as he stood from the table and walked over to Mickey. She handed him her old board, a serious look on her face.

I followed them outside, smiling the whole way. The night was going so much better than I could have ever hoped.

I sat on the steps and watched as Mickey did a few tricks on her board, followed by Edward doing some on his. There were hands and legs and hair flying everywhere as they each tried to outdo the other with more extravagant moves than the last. I laughed at the shocked and admiring look in Mickey's eyes when Edward put his hands on the board and rode down the sidewalk on his hands.

"Dude," she shouted when he came back, a triumphant smile on his face, board tucked under his arm. She held her fist out to him and he dapped it with his own. "Respect."

I laughed again as Edward held Mickey's legs up and showed her how to ride on her hands. She fell about thirty times before finally doing it all on her own and I cheered for her. She looked over at me with wide eyes and an even wider smile.

She was having a blast. And from the look on Edward's face, he was too.

"I can't wait to show Tanya that," Mickey said breathlessly as she sat on her board and rolled around on her butt, obviously worn out. Edward took a seat next to me, his breathing heavy and labored. He looked even more worn out than Mickey.

I patted him on the arm. "Doing okay, old man?" I teased and he mock glared.

I looked over at Mickey as she rolled down the driveway backward on her butt and my eyes caught a blue Prius going well over the neighborhood speed limit. My body ran cold and I clenched my fists momentarily forgetting about my fractured wrist.

Edward noticed my change in demeanor immediately and lightly touched my face. "What's wrong?"

I turned to him, scowling. "Riley," I muttered.

His features hardened and his eyes darkened turning to scan the street. "Where?"

"He just drove by," I bit out.

"What, is he stalking you now?" He looked livid.

I shrugged and stood up. I didn't want to deal. I was having a good night. I would have to deal with him sooner rather than later, I knew that, but tonight was about us, not him. I placed a cheerful smile on my face. "Who wants to watch a movie?"

Mickey jumped off her board and ran over to the steps, setting her board next to the porch. "Can we make popcorn with M&Ms?"

I grinned at her. "Absolutely." I looked down at Edward and he was frowning but stood up to follow us inside.

"This looks repulsive," he grimaced at the bowl of popcorn and M&M's. We all three sat on the couch with me in the middle as we watched the previews.

Mickey scoffed. "Try it before you knock it. It's only the best movie night snack ever."

Edward took a few pieces of popcorn with a little bit of candy mixed in and popped it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly, his eyes tight and distrusting. After a minute he tilted his head to the side and smiled.

"Best movie snack ever," he agreed and Mickey whooped.

"What a dumb movie," Mickey grumbled next to me and yawned when the movie ended and credits rolled. She was getting cranky.

"You should head to bed," I told her checking the time. It was already after eleven at night."

She yawned again and nodded. "Yeah. G'night, guys," she said sleepily giving me a hug and fist-bumping Edward.

When she was upstairs I turned to Edward but before I could say anything, his lips were on mine, his tongue licking at my bottom lip. I groaned and opened my mouth to him. He sighed into my mouth and the taste of him made me feel wild. I wrapped his hair in my fist, putting my bad arm around his neck and leaning with him until I was flat on my back on the sofa and he was hovering over me. His body too far from mine.

I pulled away, panting. "Come here," I breathed pulling his hair until his head settled in the crook of my neck.

He moaned and settled himself between my bare thighs. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as his jean-clad lap pressed against my silk-covered center. I could feel how hard he was through his jeans and threw caution and shyness to the wind as I ground myself up onto him.

The vibration of his groans and the feel of his breath on my mouth as he huffed sent my head into a dazed mess. He pushed against me and I pulled him closer. I couldn't get close enough. His hands traveled up the sides of my thighs and then scratching back down, over and over again.

We were a tangle of breaths and moans and I felt like a teenager dry humping on the couch, sneaking it in while my parents were out. It was exhilarating. Freeing and stimulating.

Edward's hands found my butt, his fingers pushing into the skin there, his nails dragging down and sending shivers throughout my body. I gasped and Edward pulled his mouth away from mine to attack my neck with hard kisses and soft bites.

His hips moved sensually over me, up and down, side to side, just trying to get that beautiful friction. My own hips worked double-time to keep up with him and soon we were both panting and moaning as I felt the pressure in my lower tummy and his erection got impossibly harder against me. One more thrust and I came undone underneath him. Edward threw his head back and bit back a guttural groan and I knew he found his own bliss.

It made my lips tug into a self-satisfied smile.

He fell against me, his face in my neck, leaving languid kisses up and down from my ear to my collar bone. I felt him grin against me before he spoke.

"Haven't done that since I was in high school," he muttered.

I huffed out a laugh. "Dry humping is vastly underappreciated."

He snorted and steadied himself on his hands to look down at me, our bottom halves still connected as much as they could be with clothes in the way. "I agree."

His dark green eyes smoldered down at me, his brows furrowed together.

"What?" I asked somewhat self-consciously.

"I like you a lot."

I smiled. "Is that a bad thing?"

"It's a scary thing," he replied seriously.

"It is," I agreed.

It was very scary to be so vulnerable again to heartbreak if that was what was going to happen. But I was open and willing to endure whatever if it meant I was living again. And Edward made me feel things I never felt before.

Passion. Crazy, unadulterated, uncontrolled passion. It made it all feel worth it.

He blinked down at me, unsure. "Don't hurt me, okay?"

My eyes softened as I looked into his vulnerable ones and leaned up to place a small kiss on his lips. I laid back down and looked at him. "I won't if you won't."

He smiled then. "Deal."

* * *

**Not where the chapter was supposed to go, but Edward and Bella were getting antsy. Jerks. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Coming Out**

"So good," Edward moaned over a bite of my triple chocolate cupcake. I giggled and squirmed under his arms, holding his hand as he chowed down. True to his word, he showed up to my bakery on his break and sampled a multitude of pastries. The girls sure didn't mind serving him.

"You're gonna be sick," I warned him. He just rolled his eyes.

"I'm an endless pit. Trust me, I can handle it."

"That's a lot of sugar, Edward. No one can handle that much sugar."

"Bet," he challenged, his eyes on mine as he shoved the last of his cupcake into his mouth, moaning around the bite and sitting back against the brick wall of my bakery with his free hand on his stomach.

"It's your funeral," I said in a sing-song voice.

He chuckled and pulled me closer to him. The summer sun shone down brightly on us, making the red and blond in his hair more prominent. I lifted my hand up and ran it through his disarrayed locks. He hummed contentedly.

"Have you gotten ahold of Riley," he asked after a minute of comfortable silence.

I sighed. "No," I groaned. "He won't answer me. I just need him to sign these damn papers so we can call it a day."

"So there's been no sign of him? He hasn't even reached out to Mickey?"

Shaking my head, I laid it on his chest. "Nope. Bastard is M.I.A. again."

"I don't trust it," Edward retorted bitterly.

I just nodded and curled further into him.

"Do you think he'll show up again?" he asked with barely concealed disdain.

Moving my head side to side I groaned, rubbing my good hand down my face. "I don't know what he's going to do. He's not exactly predictable. Whatever I thought I knew before, I have no clue now."

Edward bounced his head up and down, a contemplative look on his face. "Are you afraid he'll go after custody?"

I shook my head. "No," I said, sure of myself. "And no judge would grant him custody. He abandoned her for a year. Besides, Mickey is fifteen. She gets a say."

He nodded. "So you're not worried at all?"

"I wouldn't say I'm not worried. I'm very wary about his influence in Mickey's life. She's at a crucial age right now and very emotional. Her dad coming back into her life has to have had some adverse effects. I'm just not too worried about losing her. She knows where I stand, she knows I love her and I'm not going anywhere. I put it on faith that she and I will be okay and together through this."

"She's a great kid," Edward smiled down at me. I smiled back and nodded.

"She has her moments. She seems to like you, so I'm happy."

"I like her, too."

I grinned into his chest. That made me happier than I could even begin to describe. If he and Mickey didn't along, then there was no way I could make this work. Mickey came first. Always. But Edward had wormed his way up into my priority list.

He heaved a sigh, pulling me close and squeezing. "I need to head back to work," he said regretfully.

I nodded against him and made a move to stand but playful Edward was out and he tugged me down and I fell gracelessly onto his lap.

"Edward!" I squealed.

He only laughed and pinched my side. I slapped his hand away and turned to a more comfortable position, wrapping my arms around his neck. He looked into my eyes and jut his chin out. I mirrored his face and he smiled indulgently.

"Call me tonight?"

"I will," I agreed.

He placed a soft kiss to my lips and allowed me to stand up. He followed suit, brushing his hands off on his grease-stained jeans. He held my hand firmly between both of his for a moment before walking backward to his bike, winking at me before putting on the helmet I urged him to use.

I sighed, fully and completely content for the time being. When I walked into the bakery, all eyes were on me, smiles lighting up faces. I rolled my eyes at them and put my hands on my hips in my best 'I'm your boss' stance. "Back to work, ladies," I commanded, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face for long.

"That is one hot hunk of man meat you have there," Angie gushed when I made my way to the back.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," I retorted as I pulled out eggs from the fridge and went about making the batter for a young girl's birthday cake.

Angela laughed and hip-checked me. "Seriously though, he is one fine specimen. If I didn't have Ben, I'd be jealous."

My cheeks flamed. "He is gorgeous, isn't he?" I sighed, missing him already. I was beginning to crave him. Need his presence. That both scared and electrified me from the inside out.

"Is it serious between you two or are you like... friends with benefits?"

I looked at her in horror, my eyes wide and mouth open. "There are no benefits," I muttered in my shock and immediately slapped my hand over my mouth.

Her eyes bugged nearly out of her head. "None?" she whispered, stunned.

"Well, I mean we did... uh... I mean, there are some benefits, but just once." I scratched the back of my neck, my whole body hot and flaming in my embarrassment. I couldn't believe I was talking about this. I wasn't a prude or anything, but I wasn't wholly experienced either. And never had I talked about it with anyone.

"Well, girl, I just gotta say, if you don't jump on that then I may have to reconsider our friendship," she nagged playfully, throwing a rag at my face.

"Ha-ha," I rolled my eyes.

But now I was thinking about Edward and sex and sex with Edward. I couldn't get it out of my mind for the rest of the day, making my job way harder and more disastrous than it had to be.

When it was finally time to clock out and close up, I was relieved. I just wanted to be home and left alone with my thoughts that just kept getting pervier by the second. I pulled into the driveway and was surprised to see Mickey sitting on the porch, her phone in her hands and her head down. She looked so upset. I quickly jumped out of my car and rushed over to her, expecting the worst.

"Mickey, you okay?" I asked when I was in front of her.

She didn't look up but she shook her head dropping it lower to her knees.

"Is it... your dad?" I asked reluctantly. I swear if he did anything to hurt her again...

Mickey scoffed. "Haven't heard from the fucker," she spat. "No, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" I sat down next to her, placing my hand on her back, letting her slip of the tongue slide just this once. She sat up straight and my hand fell. I put it on my lap and looked at her.

"Tanya," she whispered, a mirthless smile on her face. "She wants something I'm not ready for."

My brow scrunched as I studied her solemn face. "And that would be?"

Mickey sniffed and turned to look into my eyes. She searched them for an insurmountable amount of time before finally nodding to herself, obviously finding whatever it was she was looking for.

"She wants us to go public."

My eyes widened and I could feel my heart begin to race. Was this finally it? Was this the moment I had been waiting for? I schooled my features into a blank mask and laid my hand on her knee as she continued.

"Tanya and I... we're not just friends. I mean, she's my best friend, but she's so much more than that. She's my...," she trailed off, her throat convulsing as she looked away from me. Finally, she sighed and looked back at me, all the color drained from her face. "Mom, Tanya is my girlfriend."

She stared at me, her eyes searching my face, but I kept it blank. I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. I reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Honey, I know."

Her eyes widened and she looked away. "How?"

"I've always known about you. I just knew. And with Tanya, you're not as discreet at you think." I couldn't help but to chuckle and Mickey turned back to me, a small unsure smile on her face.

"And you're okay with it?"

"Of course," I breathed. "Have I ever given you any reason to believe I would have a problem with it?"

"No, but...," she sighed long and hard, her eyes filling with tears. "Dad would always comment about people in same-sex relationships if he saw them when we went out. He would say it was disgusting and wrong and that they should keep it to themselves."

I felt the anger boiling inside of me. I knew about his distaste and intolerance and I never spoke up. I didn't know who I was angrier with. Him or myself for not saying anything?

I grabbed my daughter's hand and squeezed. "I am _not _your father. Love is love, baby, and you can love whomever you please. You don't need to hide it. Especially not from me." When she looked down I ducked my head to catch her eyes. "You don't have to hide anything from me. I will never judge you, I will never stop loving you. Don't hide this part of yourself from me, or anyone else. If anyone has a problem with it, you tell them to go screw themselves, because you are perfect as you are."

The tears fell freely from her eyes then and her shoulders relaxed as if a weight had finally been lifted from them. She opened her mouth to speak, but when nothing came out she threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder, her sobs shaking us both.

I just held onto her and let her get it all out.

"Thank you," she finally whispered into my shirt.

* * *

"She really told you," Edward asked, astonished.

I smiled into the phone and rolled over onto my stomach. "She really did. It was... intense. And I don't know where she stands or what she'll do now, but she told me. She trusted me enough to let me in."

"That's so great." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Really fucked up about Riley though."

I scowled, my mood shifting at the mention of his name. "She thought that because he wasn't okay with it that I shared the same views."

"Really fucked up," he repeated with a sigh. "He needs a reality check,"

I snorted. "No kidding. He needs his ass beat, too."

"Just say the word," he laughed but I could hear the sincerity in his words. I think if given the opportunity Edward would do just that. So I had to keep them separated. Because that's the last thing I needed.

"I can't wait to see you again," I said changing the subject.

"How about tomorrow?" he asked eagerly. "We could go for lunch together. Or I could bring lunch to you?"

I smiled. "We can go out for lunch, absolutely."

I guessed seeing Edward every day was becoming a thing. Not one part of me minded.

* * *

**Making progress with Edward and making progress with Mickey. Now gotta deal with Riley. Thank you all SO much for your kind words and helpful criticisms. I really appreciate it. and a reminder to social distance, wash your hand, don't touch your face and please stay safe!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Elephant in the Room**

The better things got, the more I weary I became. I hadn't heard a peep from Riley in over a week and as far as I knew, neither had Mickey. It worried me with how okay she seemed with it. Teenagers are temperamental little things. I never knew when her next explosion of emotion would be. Things were really good between me and her since our talk on the porch. Things were even better with Edward. We talked endlessly and saw each other whenever we could, which seemed to be more and more frequent.

I would be completely blissed out if not for the giant elephant in the room in the form of my ex. I glared down at the pot of homemade chicken noodle soup, stirring with more vigor than necessary. Some of the hot liquid sloshed up and over the top, sizzling on the burner.

"Sup?" Mickey came sauntering into the kitchen, that old swagger back in her step. I forced a smile at her and nodded to the stove.

"Dinner is about done."

"Coolio, Mama Bear," she said distractedly, tossing an apple between her hands as she leaned against the counter.

"Everything okay?" I asked her, turning off the burner and moving the pot to a cooler one.

She nodded, her eyes on the apple. "Just thinking."

"About?" I urged as I set out two bowls.

"About going public," she mumbled and I had to strain to hear her.

"Oh, and what are your thoughts on that?"

She finally looked up at me and shrugged. "My thoughts are that I'm going to lose my girlfriend if I don't and I don't like the pressure on me right now."

My lips set into a grim line. "If you're not ready, then you're not ready. She shouldn't push you. This is something you have to do on your own time."

Mickey dropped the apple back into the fruit basket on the island and hopped up onto the counter, her eyes observing me. "I don't care what people think," she finally said, her lips pursed. "It's just one person I'm worried about."

I felt the tension in my shoulders increase as I spooned soup into the bowls. "I get that, but Mickey, you can't let him dictate your life and your happiness. He's not even _around_," I said before thinking. I turned quickly to Mickey to see her eyes drop to the floor and her shoulders slump forward.

"I'm sorry," I breathed and she shrugged.

"It''s cool. He's _not_ here. He hasn't texted or called or reached out in any way since that night. It is what it is."

I sighed and walked over to her, dipping my head down to catch her eyes. "I'm sorry." I didn't know if I was apologizing for me or him anymore. I was just sorry either way.

She hopped off the counter and grabbed a bowl, going to sit at the table. I followed behind her with my own bowl and sat across from her.

"How you feeling about it?" I asked after a loaded silence.

She shook her head, her eyes trained on her noodles.

"Mick," I kept on her, her shoulders starting to shake and for a moment I thought she was crying until she looked up and her eyes were dancing.

"It's just so fucking typical. The selfish bastard just does whatever he pleases and expects us to be exactly where he left us when he decides to show his stupid fucking face?" Hysterical laughter bubbled from her throat. "Fuck him. Fuck him!" She slammed her fist on the table, shaking our soup and making hers slosh over.

I felt my face tighten at her obvious hurt and reached across the table to place my hand on her balled-up fist. I was pleasantly surprised when she didn't shake me off. She just shook her head, her eyes bouncing around the table and looking anywhere but at me.

"Fuck him," she whispered and removed my hand from her fist to take a bite of her soup. I retracted my hand and sighed. I didn't know what to say to her. There was nothing I could say to make her feel better. All I could do was be there for her. So I sat there and ate silently while my daughter's desolate face turned emptier by the second.

* * *

"Hurry with those cakes, Bella," Angela called from the front of the bakery. I quickly folded them into their respective pale pink boxes and sealed them shut inside.

"On it!" I called back.

It was much harder to handle the tasks of the bakery now that I had a full-fledged cast on my arm. I balanced the boxes atop my cast and held them in place with my good hand and rushed as quickly and carefully as I could to the front. I was greeted by angry faces at the counter, their patience running thin.

"I'm so sorry for the wait," I said breathlessly, setting the boxes on the counter in front of them.

The older woman of the group stuck her nose in the air. "I don't see the point of making an order for a certain time if that time is not kept." Her snooty voice and attitude ticked me off but I kept the fake smile plastered on my face.

"Truly sorry for the wait," I said again.

The woman scoffed and grabbed the boxes, handing them to a younger man behind her. "You better hope these are good or your Yelp review will not be pretty."

"Have a nice day," I said with as much forced kindness as I could muster.

The woman only scoffed again and her group moved away. I gasped when their retreating figures revealed a very stoic looking piece of human filth.

The facade dropped quickly and I glared at him. "What are you doing here?" I knew the anger in my voice was noticed when I saw him take a small step back.

"I came to apologize," he had the nerve to say. I felt the growl rumbling in the back of my throat.

My eyes darted to the door then back to his face. I wanted to tell him to take a hike and stay out of my life and away from everyone in it, but I had things that needed to be discussed. Calmly.

"I've been trying to reach you," I forced through gritted teeth. He looked contrite and nodded.

"I know. I needed some time to cool down from the other night. Things didn't go as I had intended."

"How exactly did you intend for things to go when you show up unannounced?"

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Better than that? I don't know. I wanted to have a calm discussion about... well, everything. But you went crazy."

There was a line starting to build up behind and I motioned for him to follow me out the back exit, through the back of the bakery. He followed without a word of protest, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

When we were outside, I whirled on him. "You couldn't have maybe texted or called your daughter to let her know that you needed some time?"

He bowed his head and teetered on his feet, rocking back and forth. He refused to meet my eyes. "I should have. I know. But I texted her this afternoon. She hasn't gotten back to me."

I blew out a breath, the tendrils of my hair flying up and around my face. "Can you blame her?"

He shook his head. "I'm trying, okay? I'm trying to get back in the groove here. I just need some understanding?"

I stifled the scream that wanted to erupt in his face, stamping it down deep into my soul where it was sure to fester. Instead, I took a calming breath in through my nose and let it out slowly from my mouth.

"I want you to sign the divorce papers," I said cutting to the chase.

His eyes widened fractionally. "I'm... I'm not ready for that."

It was my turn to widen my eyes. I looked at him like he grew a second head and took a step forward, hissing quietly. "What do you mean you're not ready for that? You left, Riley. You left. I want my damn divorce."

His face turned mocking. "Why? So you can go marry your new boyfriend that you brought around _my _kid?"

I tried very hard to keep myself calm, locking my hands behind my back and forcing them to stay there this time. I replied in a calm tone. "No. This has nothing to do with Edward. I want my life back. And it doesn't include being married to _you_."

He sniffed and looked away but I could see his eyes were blazing. "Not ready."

My jaw clenched and it took all my will power to keep my hands to myself and my voice steady. "Riley," I said as calmly as I could given the circumstances, "why are you doing this?"

"You want your life back?" he asked, finally meeting my eyes. He took a step forward so he was towering over me. "Well, so do I. I want my family back, my house, my life here. I want it all back and I will do whatever it takes to get it."

I didn't miss how he said family. With reverence and want and need. I took a staggering step back and looked at him. "You lost that. You lost all of that when you left. When you chose some little girl over your _family_," I spat the word back at him. What a joke. We were never a family. Not with him,

He caught me off guard, his hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me roughly to him, his lips connecting harshly with mine. It took only a second for me to push him away and for my cast-covered hand to connect with the side of his thick skull.

He toppled to the side and I screamed as pain shot through my arm. I jumped up and down as I tried to make the pain stop. When it finally subsided I looked down at his surprised face and spat at the ground next to him, wiping my lips of his unwanted kiss.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer," I said shakily.

He scrambled to his feet and glared at me. "Don't make this worse for yourself, Bella. Because I sure as hell have a better lawyer than you."

Instead of entertaining this fiasco anymore I turned on my heel and ran inside, my insides clenching painfully.

* * *

"Thanks again," I said for the hundredth time as Edward installed a new lock on my door. He dismissed my thanks with a wave of his hand. "I don't know if he still has a key but I don't want to take any chances."

"It's fine, Bella. I'm glad to help." He was still angry. Not with me, but with Riley. I was honest with him and told him every detail about what had transpired, right down to the kiss.

His face was set in a permanent scowl for the rest of the day.

I sighed and walked into the kitchen to check on the chicken baking in the oven. Mickey sat at the counter with Leah by her side. Leah hadn't wanted to come inside. She loved being outdoors but I think she felt the angst in her teenage companion and was following her everywhere.

"Hey," I said softly coming to stand next to her.

"Sup," she said just as quietly.

"How are you feeling right now?" I needed to know how she was fairing. She didn't look so well.

She only shrugged. I brushed past her, touching her back as I went to the oven to check on dinner. Seeing that it was done, I pulled on an oven mitt and removed it from the oven, kicking it shut with my foot.

"Dad wants to take me to lunch tomorrow," Mickey muttered after a minute of silence.

I felt my body tense. What could I say? No? No, you can't see your father? I couldn't do that. Not if she wanted to see him.

"Do you want to go?"

She looked over at me. "I want answers. I need answers."

"You may not like what you hear." I tried to soften whatever blow I knew was coming if she went with him and asked him why he left her.

Mickey shook her head. "I don't care. I have to know... I have to know why. Why he left, why he stayed away for so long and why he's back now."

"He said he wants his family back." This honesty thing was getting easier.

She scoffed, her eyes rolling in her head dramatically. "As if," she said but I noted something in her tone. Something that made my chest tighten and my stomach do flips.

Longing.

Before I could comment, Edward came into the kitchen. Leah regarded me with a soft growl as he neared closer to Mickey. He held his hands up in surrender and went around the island so he was standing a safe distance away and closer to me.

"Locks are changed. You're good."

I smiled gratefully up at him and he returned the smile with a forced one of his own. I rolled my eyes at his seemingly endless anger. Plating three servings and handing them to each of us, we made our way to the table and ate dinner in complete silence. So different from our last dinner together.

It made me uneasy.

It was getting late and we both had work in the morning so I walked Edward out. We stood on the porch, both of our arms locked over our chests as we silently regarded the other. Finally, Edward sighed and released his arms to pull me to him. I clung to his back and inhaled his heady scent.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly into my hair.

I nodded. "It's okay. I wouldn't be too happy if the roles were reversed."

Edward pulled away slightly, just enough so that he could look down into my face. And then his lips were on mine, a hungry kiss of tangled tongues and heavy breaths. I didn't know how long we shared that kiss but it was too soon when he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

"I wanted your last kiss of the night to be better than your first," he said playfully, trying to make light of the situation.

I smiled at his efforts. "It beats it by a long shot."

He hugged me back to his chest and squeezed. And for a moment everything else melted away. In his arms, I was safe.

* * *

**Y'all wanted those locks changed so badly lol. There you go. This is not a terribly angsty story, I don't want that for it. It's fluff and family with a dash of drama. Thank you for reading and a big thanks for reviewing. I love hearing your thoughts.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Disastrous**

I pulled in a shaky breath as my fingers dialed the one number I had been dreading. It rang a few times before a gruff voice answered, cracking over the line.

"Swan residence."

"Dad," I sighed and plopped down onto the sofa with Leah at my feet. I ran my fingers through her scruff, holding on for dear life. I didn't know why I felt so bad. I mean, I knew why. I hadn't called them right away as I should have. But I felt like a teenager again, about to get scolded for withholding info.

"Bella," his voice raised an octave and I knew he was happy to hear from me. It made me feel worse that I hadn't called even before the mess to talk to him more. "How are ya, kid?"

"I'm... not so great," I admitted.

"What happened?" His gravelly voice sounded serious now. That old cop mentality never did leave him.

I took a deep breath in my through my nose and let it out in garbled words of apology.

"I'm sorry? Come again?"

I groaned and tightened my fists in Leah's scruff. "Riley's back. He's back and he wants me and Mickey to be a family with him again."

"I swear to all that is holy," he growled, "don't you let that piece of shit back into your life. After everything, Bella? Really? You're going to let that garbage human piece of filth –,"

"Dad!" I was quick to remedy the situation. No more goose chasing. "I am _not _getting back together with Riley. I have no want or need for him anymore. Trust me, it is a closed case, okay? I said he wanted to get back together, not that I was on board."

I heard him take in a long breath and let it out gruffly. "When did he show his face?"

I was dreading that question. I slapped my hand over my face and groaned into the phone. "About two weeks ago."

Silence. I couldn't even hear him breathing anymore.

"Dad?"

Finally, he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "Tell me everything?" he said in a calculating tone.

So I did. Right down to fracturing my wrist, and the unwanted kiss at my place of business. By the end, I could hear my dad breathing raggedly. "You can use my lawyer."

I sighed and shook my head. "I'd rather he just sign the papers."

Dad laughed humorlessly. "He isn't going to, Bella. From what you told me, this is going to get ugly whether you want it to or not. You need a divorce and you need to make sure your ass is covered."

I knew I did. I really did know. But all of this was just too much. "He's with Mickey right now," I admitted.

"He's what? Bella!"

"I didn't have a choice! He's her father and she wanted to go to dinner with him. What was I supposed to say? I don't have any legal right to keep him from her."

"That's why you need a lawyer, kid." His voice was tired and I could imagine him running a hand down his worn face.

"I can't make that choice for her, Dad. If she wants to see him and have him in her life, then who the hell am I to say no?"

"Her mother," he said matter-of-factually.

I rolled my eyes and stood up from the sofa just as the front door slammed open and Mickey ran passed the living room like a bat out of hell and up the stairs, slamming her door.

"Dad, I have to go," I said hurriedly. "Mickey is home and she doesn't seem too happy."

"Okay, call me back later and we'll get things set up. You need a lawyer, Bella," he said with conviction and finality.

I ended the call and took the stairs one step at a time. When I was outside Mickey's door, I knocked an uneven pattern, my head laying against the door frame. I could hear her moving about and soon she opened the door, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed and sad.

"Baby," I sighed, taking her into my arms. Her arms laid limply at her sides, not making a move to wrap around me. "What happened?"

She hiccuped into my neck and shook her head. "He's a piece of shit," she mumbled and I had to strain to hear her.

She pulled away from me and sniffled, running her arm under eyes and nose. "He actually said that h-he w-was...," her face scrunched up and her eyes shed tears, "_bored_," she whispered the word like it was a swear on her breath.

I couldn't believe he said that to her. I didn't want him to lie to her, but I didn't want him to break her heart with the truth either. Silly me for thinking he would spare her that pain. I tried to bring her into my arms again but she jerked away from me, a pained look on her face.

"He said that he n-needed some time a-away but he's tired of l-living without his f-family. I don't want to be his family," she cried, her shoulders shaking violently. "I want him to stay away. He should have just stayed away!"

I nodded and locked my arms in front of me. She obviously didn't want to be touched and I would respect that. But her sobs broke my heart little by little. I never wanted to see her in pain and Riley just seemed to keep doling it out like firecrackers.

"He doesn't love me," she said, her voice somber and sobbing turning into broken hiccups.

I wanted to tell her that of course he loved her but then I would have had to tell her that he loved himself more and I couldn't do that. So I kept my mouth shut and let her get all her sadness and frustrations out.

She looked into my eyes then and squared her shoulders. "I hope he dies," she spat venomously and then closed the door in my face.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and tears found their way down my cheeks. I walked downstairs and grabbed my phone from the sofa dialing the only person I wanted to talk to.

He picked up after the second ring. "Hey, gorgeous," his smooth voice seeped into my veins and I felt myself relax at the sounds of it.

"Hey," I breathed and sat on the sofa. "How's your day?"

"It's better now that I'm hearing from you. How did the call to your folks go?"

"My dad wants me to use his lawyer," I said begrudgingly.

Edward sighed. "That's good. You need one. Riley is trying to make this as difficult as he can."

"Yes, I know," I agreed. I knew I needed a lawyer, I couldn't put it off anymore. It sucked but it's what I had to do.

"It will all work out. He doesn't have a leg to stand on.," he said confidently.

"I hope you're right."

"I am. And you'll see. It will all be okay."

I hesitated, my eyes going to the stairs as I heard music blaring from Mickey's room. Still, I whispered. "Mickey had a disastrous time with Riley tonight."

"What happened?" he sounded pissed already.

I took in a deep breath and told him exactly what Mickey told me. Right down to her wanting her father to die.

"That's cold," he seethed. "Are you fucking kidding me? The guy sure doesn't sugar coat shit, does he?" He was getting more amped up as he went on. "What kind of father – no! But kind of person tells a teenage girl that she was too boring for them to stick around. Are you fucking serious? Who the hell is this guy? What is his problem?"

I dropped my head into my hand as I felt he tears start to form in my eyes again. "He's a real piece of work," I mumbled.

"A real piece of shit, you mean?" Oh, he was mad. Very mad. It made me feel... better. Like I had someone on my side. On Mickey's side. Someone who cared about both of us.

I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "Wanna beat him up?" I offered jokingly and laughed when Edward gave a grunt of approval.

"More than that," he ground out.

"I have to call my dad back and figure out this lawyer thing," I finally said after Edward's tirade of profanities and oaths to kill Riley died down.

"Okay, okay," he said quickly. "Call me and let me know how things go, please?"

"Will do."

I hung up with Edward and set my phone down. I needed a minute to gather myself before calling my dad and getting into the legalese of it all.

I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew one thing. Edward was by my side and that made me feel so much better than if I was doing this alone.

* * *

**Just a short chapter. Next one will be up soon, hopefully. Hectic life is hectic.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: If Only For a Moment**

I banged my head on the desk in front of me as the balding man with too wide glasses went over the legality of everything. I was just so tired and missing work was making my stomach hurt and his words all meshed together turning into a migraine of epic proportions.

"Jenks?" My dad piped up next to me, his hand on my back and rubbing soothing circles. "Can you maybe simple this up a bit for us common folk?"

I looked up and fell back in my seat with a huff. Jenks cleared his throat and nodded. "Well, I was just saying that this is an open and closed case. We should have no trouble getting the divorce and anything else you may want."

My face scrunched up. "Like?"

"Child support for starters," he said and I shook my head.

"No. No, I don't want anything from him. I just want him gone and out of our lives."

"From what you've told me, you could issue a restraining order. Although he could bring up the fact that you threw the first punch... so I would advise we just handle the divorce for now and if he keeps showing up, then we can talk about it. But I assume his lawyer is telling him to keep a distance from you."

I nodded. "He better."

"So we have nothing to worry about?" Dad asked hopefully.

Jenks nodded, flipping his papers and tapping his pen closed before looking over to me. "Nothing that I can see so far. Is there anything else you need to tell me, Isabella? Anything that may look on you unfavorably?"

I shook my head. I had told him everything. Even about me throwing the punches. Both times.

"Then I can assume this will be quick and painless for you."

Painless? Maybe... Quick? I really freaking hope so.

* * *

"I can't wait to see my baby!" Mom cried from the living room while I put together an easy lunch for us. They arrived early this morning and we had to leave for my meeting with Jenks before Mickey woke up. And now she's at Tanya's for the day. I hadn't told her that her grandparents were here, wanting it to be a surprise.

She deserved one nice surprise after the hellish one she received.

I walked into the living room, balancing a platter of chicken sandwiches on my arm. Dad jumped up and took it from me, setting it on the coffee table.

"Thanks," I breathed in relief and plopped down on the recliner that never got used. It was stuffy and hard from lack of use. I fidgeted in it while my parents gushed about seeing Mickey and filled their faces with food.

"Can you call her?" Mom asked after a while, clearly growing impatient.

I shook my head. "She texted and said she'll be home soon. Just be patient," I laughed.

Just then, the door swung open and Leah came rushing in from the open backdoor to the front to greet her favorite person. I heard Mickey giggle and fawn over the giant lug before pushing her into the living room with her.

"Hey, Ma," she greeted with a smile. So different from her attitude the other night. It scared me how quickly she seemed to get over her father and his words. It scared me even more that she may be repressing.

"Hey, babygirl."

Her eyes danced over to the couch and her body stiffened before she broke out in laughter and superman jumped onto my parent's laps, landing with her head on my mom. "Papa, Grandma!

I smiled as I watched her greet them and the happy smiles on all their faces made my heart ring with joy. It made me forget all the bad, if just for a moment. I just watched them for a few minutes as Mickey animatedly talked their ears off. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I excused myself to the kitchen to look at it.

_Hello, gorgeous. How did the meeting go?_

His words, no matter how simple, never failed to make my heart flutter like wings in my chest.

_**The lawyer says it's an open and shut case. Should have no problems. But you never know what Riley has up his sleeves.**_

_Don't think like that. Think positive. This can all be over soon._

If only...

"Now who is making my girl smile like that?" My mom held her hands on her hips and stared at me with a mock-stern look on her face.

I blushed. I couldn't help it. I had told my mom very little about the man I was seeing. And that was only in the beginning. I hadn't told her just how wonderful he is and how amazing he has been through all of my drama.

"Edward," I smiled.

"Oooh, _Edward_," she sighed dreamily with her hands over her heart. I shook my head at her theatrics. "Well, tell mama all about this dreamboat!" She hopped her butt up on the counter and beckoned me over with her hand. I laughed and hopped up – one handed might I add – onto the counter next to her.

"He's..." What could I say about Edward? He's beautiful, he's understanding, he's sexy, he's sweet, kind, amazing... none of those words seemed to be enough. So I settled for the best I could. "mesmerizing."

"Mesmerizing?" she repeated with a tilt of her head and a smile fighting to break out on her face. "Oh, honey. You got it bad, don't ya?"

I shook my hair in front of my face, hiding the burning blush I could feel there. "Stop. He's just so wonderful to me and he likes Mickey. Like, he genuinely likes her. And I know he likes me for some odd reason –,"

"Oh, hush you," Mom interrupted me with a smack on my arm. "You always do that. You think you're less than you are. That's why you settled for that asshat for so many years. You never could see what you deserved."

I absentmindedly rubbed my arm and looked at her. "Well, either way."

"Are you two official yet?"

My eyes widened at the word. "We haven't put a label on anything, no."

"And why the hell not?" She looked genuinely pissed, her dark eyes staring into mine. "What is he waiting for?"

"Jeez, mom," I groaned. "Maybe for my divorce to go through?"

Mom sighed and hopped off the counter just as my dad and Mickey walked into the kitchen. She ran over to my dad and whispered something in his ear, then turned her head to smirk at me.

_Oh, here we go._

"So," Dad grunted and pulled out a chair to sit at the table. "When do we get to meet this Edward?"

Sometime next to freaking never! "Uh... why do you want to meet him?"

"Why wouldn't we?" he countered with a raised brow. "Invite him over for dinner." At the shake of my head, he added, "I insist."

I groaned and clutched my phone to my chest, willing away the conversation. It wasn't that I was ashamed of my relationship with Edward, but I knew my dad would interrogate him to an inch of his life and I didn't want to subject him to that torture.

"Yeah, Ma. Invite Edward over. We can have another battle of the boards. I've been practicing." Mickey smiled at me smugly and plopped down on my dad's lap making him grunt and tickle her side.

"Yeah, Bella. Invite him over," Mom taunted me from across the kitchen and then I had three sets of eyes all on me, daring me not to.

Well, damn.

* * *

I scurried about the kitchen with Mom on my tail trying to tell me how to bake a cake. Like it wasn't what I did for a freaking living. Mom couldn't cook to save her life so I knew she was just messing with me because she could sense my nerves were a wreck.

"Don't forget to set the timer," she said into my ear as I stood from the blazing hot oven. I pushed past her and she laughed. "Relax, hon. Everything will be fine."

I snorted as I kept my shaking hands busy with setting the table. "Okay," I whispered to myself, looking around the kitchen for something to do. The enchiladas were done and cooling, the cake was in the oven, the table was set...

"There's nothing left to do," Mom sang from the countertop as she swung her legs and laughed at me. I glared at her and went about resetting the silverware so they looked neater.

"Door!" Mickey called from the living room. "Papa's getting it!"

I ran to the front door just as Dad pulled it open and crossed his arms over his chest. I ran right into him and he didn't budge an inch. Edward stood there with an easy smile and Jake tied to his wrist. He used his free hand to hold out to my dad.

"Mr. Swan," he nodded at my father who gruffly took Edward's hand in his and I could tell by the veins popping that he was squeezing harder than necessary. I rolled my eyes and pushed the two of them apart. Jake took that opportunity to jump at my legs.

"You brought Jake," I noted worriedly. He and Leah did not get along the first time.

Edward shrugged apologetically. "Meeting of families and all that. I hope that's okay. I didn't want to leave him."

"I just hope Leah doesn't try to kill him again."

Edward laughed. I stepped to the side, pulling my stubborn father with me to let Edward and Jake in. Jake immediately tried to run for the backdoor where Leah was watching with narrowed eyes. Well, as narrow as dogs could get them. Edward held fast to the leash and admonished Jake quietly.

Mickey ran over to Edward and Jake. "Puppy!" She bent down and received all the kisses Jake could plant on her and laughed as she offered to properly introduce the two warring dogs. Edward let her have the leash and we watched as she walked a very excited Jake over to a subdued Leah.

I turned to look at Edward with a small when I saw that Leah merely sniffed Jake and then walked to her doghouse out back. He looked down at me with a grin. "Your daughter is a miracle worker."

I snorted. "Seems like it."

A throat clearing pulled us from each other and I turned to my dad who still had his big beefy arms crossed over his chest. "Why don't we eat and talk," he offered in a calm tone.

We both nodded and headed into the kitchen with Mickey following close behind. I guessed the dogs were good enough to be left alone for the time being.

I let Mom and Dad take the heads of the table with me next to Mom and Edward across from me. Mickey was of course next to Dad, smiling indulgently. We dug into the enchiladas, no one speaking for some time until Dad decided to go in.

I cringed as soon as he opened his mouth even though nothing bad came from it. I was just getting ready for the onslaught.

"So, Edward, I hear you're a mechanic?"

"Yes, Mr. Swan. I work on Motorcycles and flashy sports bikes."

Dad's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah? I had a bike before we had Bella here. Had to get sell it so I could afford a car to lug these two around." He pointed at my mother and me. "I miss those wild days. Do you ride?"

"Yes, I do. I love it. I could never give up my bike," Edward chuckled. "I don't know what I would do with myself."

Dad nodded in understanding. "It was a hard day but it was worth it. I had to get my woman to her appointments. And then Bella came and life happened. I miss it, but it was the right call. Sacrifices, ya know?" His eyes narrowed at Edward and I groaned around my bite giving my dad a scathing look that he studiously ignored.

"I'm no stranger to sacrifice," Edward said. "I just don't ever see myself giving up my bike."

Dad nodded, his eyes never leaving Edward. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mom cut in.

"Edward," she called with a smile and he turned to her with a polite smile of his own. "I haven't been on a bike in so long, maybe you could take me out on yours?"

Dad choked on his food and I had to hide my smile at the glare he was sending Mom across the table. She pretended not to see it and continued to smile at Edward who looked very nervous and put on the spot.

"Uh, well... um, I didn't bring my bike with me today because of Jake but...," he trailed off looking at my dad out of the corner of his eye. "If you want to I can bring it by later."

"I wanna ride on it!" Mickey yelled.

I had to hide my smile under a napkin at the vein popping out of my dad's forehead. Edward smirked at me and kicked me softly under the table.

Dad turned to me, his darkened eyes calculating. "Have you been on it, Bella?"

My eyes widened. Why did I feel like a teenager in trouble? Before I could answer, my evil spawn piped up.

"She did the very first time they met actually." Her brows raised as she stared at me in challenge and if I could reach her I would have knocked her good on the shin.

"How was it?" Mom asked, her eyes wide with excitement. "Was it amazing? Was it freeing? Was it –,"

"The very first time you meet a man, you jump on his bike?" Dad said way too calmly. "Isabella, I thought we taught you well enough about stranger danger when you were growing up!"

I sighed and glared at my smug-looking daughter. My eyes wandered over to Edward who looked torn between amused and slightly terrified.

"It all worked out," I said in a clipped tone. I wasn't about to be berated by my father in my home in front of my kid and my... well, Edward. "Drop it."

Dad's forehead vein protruded some more. "But –,"

"Drop it, Charles," Mom jumped in, her hand on my own on the table. "Bella is a grown woman who can make her own decisions and it all worked out for the best. Leave it alone." She stared my dad down until he grumbled under his breath and looked down at his plate.

I smiled at her and fell back in my seat, happy that was out of the way. I would have to have a discussion with my infuriating daughter about what privacy meant later on.

When we all finished our dinner, Mickey practically dragged Edward outside, boasting about her boarding skills and how she was better than him. He took the bait and even with a full stomach grabbed one of the boards. I grabbed a few beers and walked out to the porch to watch them after taking the cake from the oven and setting it out to cool. I handed a beer to my dad and one to my mom as I popped my own open.

We all watched and laughed as Edward fell backward off the board and landed hard on his behind. He mock-glared at me and chased a laughing taunting Mickey around the yard.

"He's a sweetheart," Mom sighed next to me. I nodded and Dad just grunted but I could see the small smile on his face as he watched Edward grab Mickey around the waist and haul her shrieking self off the ground.

I sipped at my beer and couldn't help but think that this is how it should have been with Riley. Effortless. Fun. He never played with Mickey like that. He wasn't cold toward her, but he always seemed to have something better to do than to engage in anything she found fun. Especially skateboarding. He said it was for boys and he didn't want his daughter on one. Stupid way of thinking. Watching Edward with Mickey made me feel things that I never had before. A fluttering in my tummy and a tingle in my chest.

I couldn't place the feeling. But it felt good. It felt more than good.

I giggled when Mickey launched herself on Edward's back, effectively taking him down to his knees.

"Come beat him up, Papa!" She called playfully to my dad as she held Edward in a headlock on the ground. Dad grinned.

"Maybe later," he called back.

Edward and Mickey had the biggest grins on their faces while he tried to fight her off. Dad smiled, Mom laughed, I was happy.

And for a moment, everything was perfect.

* * *

**This story will not be terribly long. Still some ground to cover though. Hope you all liked this chapter. Stay safe out there! Also, i want to support any new stories out there so if you have any recommendations, please let me know what you're reading right now.**


End file.
